The Clay of Lineage
A Conversation with Dora Alzamora Good
In the sun-drenched village of Deià, Mallorca, Dora shapes more than just clay—she shapes a legacy. As a third-generation ceramicist, her work is a dialogue between the secret glaze recipes of her grandmother and the wild, unconscious influence of the Mediterranean landscape. From the "imperfect perfection" of her silhouettes to the deep-rooted matriarchal energy of her gallery, Dora invites us into a world where ceramics are not just objects, but family.
hello Dora, how are you? Can you tell us a bit about yourself, who you are, where you’re based, and what you do?
Hi I am a ceramicist based in Deia Mallorca and I mainly make decorative/sculptural ceramics as well as some functional ceramics.
As a third-generation ceramist, how has this matriarchal lineage, including your mother and grandmother, influenced your own artistic journey and your vision for ceramics?
The majority of my family are multifaceted artists from ceramics to painting and more. I never questioned that I would make art, in the beginning I didn’t know if ceramics would be my medium but as soon as I started making in my 20s I knew it was my medium.
You discovered your passion for clay more than 10 years ago. What exactly motivated you to buy a wheel, convert a kiln, and teach yourself how to throw?
I started making ceramics in 2013, I had finished my art education and was confused on how to make a living I was working as a bartender not know what to do and my mother had recently set up her ceramics studio so i started playing around making with her as I used to when I was a kid and I had that moment where it clicks and I said this is it this is what i want to do.
Could you elaborate on how elements from Nature and your surroundings in Deià, Mallorca, manifest in your pieces?
I think it is more of an unconscious manifestation , when nature is the most present thing that surrounds you it’s hard for it not to appear in your work.
Can you tell us more about the glazes you use and their history?
I have some glazes that were my grandmothers and I’ve tweaked and played around with them and made variations a of it ( most ceramicists who make their own glazes to this, everyone has their secret little recipes).
Besides glazes, you employ primitive techniques like black firing. What draws you to these traditional methods, and how do they contribute to the “range of surfaces and textures” in your work?
Recently I don’t do them as much and have been drawn more to glazes but black firing or smoke firing has been around for centuries and several different cultures all over the world and their is something very beautiful about continuing this traditions in some form or another.
Could you give us an example of how this spontaneity manifests when you’re working with clay?
I’ve gotten to the point where making can almost be a sort of mediation, especially when I am “playing” or making just for the sake of making what I want. You don’t almost think about what your doing it kind of happens.
Is there a particular emotion you hope to evoke in those who see or touch your pieces?
Nostalgia, beauty, playfulness, meloncholly, joy
You create objects of “imperfect perfection.” How do you manage to balance the “crude and the refined, the line and the curve” in your designs?
I don’t personally like things that are “too perfect” I like to see the makers imprint In Their work, maybe “prefect” works for others but not for me. I like the slight wobble in a thin rim of a pot or and uneven circle in one of my sculptural vases. I think for me it’s about finding the balance between opposing elements.
Your gallery, Gres Gallery, also exhibits the works of Mariana and Grace Alzamora. How would you describe the synergy or commonalities between your three artistic approaches?
Our works are quite different but seem to have so much in common, I’ve tried placing other ceramic artists work in the gallery along with our pieces and for me they never seem to quite fit in or have the same energy as our work. I guess that’s it, it’s the energy of our work, it’s like the pieces are familiar to one another, they are family.
Dora Alzamora Good - @doragood_ceramics
Pictures - @vitalikmelnikov_