Interview with Estíbaliz: A Conversation About Pottery, Creativity, and Coming Home
Estíbaliz, a Pamplona-born artist, shares her journey through creativity, her passion for pottery, and her recent return to her hometown after many years away.
"I've never been too interested in the intellectual part of art; what motivates me is the plastic creation itself, and that's what I enjoy"
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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Esti: My name is Estíbaliz, I'm 43 years old, and I was born in Pamplona. I studied Fine Arts, and in addition to ceramics, I also love cooking and eating, music, and any plan that involves being in nature.
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What does it mean for you to be creative, and how does it enrich your life?
Esti: For me, being creative means being able to express my inner self, sometimes unconsciously. Creative practice has always provided me with well-being, whether it's drawing, screen printing, or shaping clay.
Pottery is a very tactile work. What does it mean to you to create something with your own hands?
Esti: I've always loved drawing since I was a child, so creating with my hands is something innate in me. I used to enjoy writing too, sometimes simply for the act of sliding the pen across the paper.
The first day I went to a pottery class, I had a kind of epiphany, something was activated inside me. When I work with my hands, I am really channeling my mind and my entire unconscious through them. Therefore, I believe that something handmade will always have the essence of the creator.
You just moved back to the city you were born in, after many years of living in different places. Are you looking for your roots or comfort? Or does it actually feel like moving to a new place?
I don't feel like I'm looking for my roots by returning to Pamplona because I've never had a deep-rooted sense of belonging to a place. In fact, my family tree is scattered throughout different parts of Spain (and none of them in Navarra). However, after living for a long time in a Mediterranean place and then spending the last 7 years in San Sebastian, I've realized that I feel best in the north. I'm drawn to the green landscapes and the mountains.
I would say that I have returned in search of the embrace of family and friends, my circle. I'm coming home, although I'm not the same person who left 17 years ago, and that changes the perspective a bit.
I must say that the process of returning has been a bit difficult at times because, let's say, I'm starting my life from scratch again. I'm rediscovering the city and finding my place in it from a different perspective.
"For me, being creative means being able to express my inner self, sometimes unconsciously"
What other forms of art would you like to try out and why?
Esti: Well, if I think about it, I would actually like to try anything that involves working with my hands. And by that, I mean what is considered craftsmanship more than art. I've never been too interested in the intellectual part of art; what motivates me is the plastic creation itself, and that's what I enjoy.
What does fashion mean to you, and how does it help you express yourself?
Esti: I worked for many years selling clothes. And although it wasn't a job I adored, it's true that I've always had a certain interest in fashion. I don't have it for big luxury brands, although I inevitably have followed and continue to follow certain trends when it comes to dressing. I take care of and choose the clothes I wear because aesthetics are important to me. I think, in my case, I use certain clothes or others depending on how I feel that day, and I believe that clothes have the power to make you feel different ways.
