Artists

Fernando Casasempere (b. 1958)

Fernando Casasempere was born in Santiago. Fascinated by Central and South American Pre-Columbian ceramics from the 16th century, he left Chile in his early twenties to undertake a Masters in Ceramics at the University of Barcelona in Spain. After five years of study he returned to Chile and in 1997 he moved to London.

Using the technical knowledge acquired through his studies, Casasempere has developed a unique clay mix for his sculptures. Having a strong interest in protecting the environment he adds industrial waste, such as nickel and copper residues from mining operations, to his clay. A strong relationship with the National Society of Mining in Chile, which represents the country's private mining companies, has allowed him access to these materials and enables him to experiment with different hues and textures.

Casasempere has exhibited extensively in the U.K, elsewhere in Europe, and in north and south America. His work can be found collections around the world including: Shell Collection, Chile; Ladeco Collection, Chile; Coca-Cola Museum, Atlanta; and Victoria & Albert Museum, London. A large ceramic piece is at Roche Court, near Salisbury, and his most ambitious work to date, Under the Forest, is in the collection of the Jerwood Sculpture Park at Ragley.

Casasempere is constantly testing and pushing the boundaries of his clay materials. He explains that the main reason ceramic sculpture has not developed to the same extent as sculpture in other media is that 'it simply hasn't been given the chance … The place of ceramics among other disciplines is more the consequence of technical and practical constraints rather than the inability of the material to obtain given results' (Artist's statement). With his technical experience and use of hi-tech facilities Casasempere is taking ceramic sculpture into a new sphere.

Casasempere lives and works in London.

Select Bibliography

Exhibition catalogue, T. Llewellyn (Intro.), Venice: City of Dreams?, Sotheby's, London, January 2007, pp. 12, 20-21.
Exhibition catalogue, E. de Waal (Intro.), Fernando Casasempere, Galeria Ana Maria Stagno, Santiago, November 2003.
Exhibition catalogue, E. de Waal (Intro.), Fernando Casasempere, Galerie Besson, London November-December 2002.
Exhibition catalogue, E. Shaw (Intro.) Fernando Casasempere, Galeria Ana Maria Stagno, Santiago, November 1996.
E. Crichton-Miller, 'Not to be Glazed Over', FT How to Spend It, 7 April 2007, pp. 35-38.
M. Glover, 'Damp reflections of a rouged old dame', Times2, 16 January 2007.
R. Mehta, 'Mixing It Up' Interview with Fernando Casasempere, MADE, Issue 1, 2007, pp.8-12.
'Sculptor Fernando is a Real Brick', Birmingham Post, 16 November 2006, p. 25.
'Up Front', CRAFTS, May/June 2007, p. 12.