The Artist:

Anja Palombo was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany where she enjoyed an upbringing full of independent exploration, art, travel and nature. She studied art history at the Universities of Hamburg and Berlin and graduated with a BFA in painting and art history from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She received an MA in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ and taught art in Turkey and India for twenty years. She currently teaches ceramics to adults in Sarasota, FL. Anja has participated in many art shows, including curated small group and solo shows on three continents, venues including The American Center and The India International Center in New Delhi, India. Her art is represented in private collections around the world.

After arriving in Sarasota nine years ago, Anja started running a production pottery studio, showing her work in pop up shows and selling through the Ringling Museum Store. During the pandemic she began shifting back into fine art and she is currently involved with working on multiple bodies of sculptural work.

The Work:

My work and ideas unfold based on the interplay of concepts and various media. Wheel throwing, sculpture, painting and mixed media, allow me to adapt my techniques in harmony with conceptual ideas. Different materials influence inspire and enrich each other. This dynamic process enables me to explore profound themes, pushing the boundaries of materials and techniques. Whether I am shaping clay on the wheel or experimenting with the textures of mixed media, my work embodies a continuous dialogue between concept and form, resulting in work is visually and conceptually inviting. My projects are a tapestry of interconnected ideas and inspirations.

I am inspired by the natural world, the vast and forceful sea and cloudscapes and the amazing flora and fauna around me. Another source of inspiration is my love for art history. Special credits for the current ceramic sculptural work go to Cycladic and Mycenaean art, the Bauhaus movement, Jean Arp and Isamu Noguchi for their lessons on abstraction and simplifying detail while working out the essence of a form in space.

Photo by Augustus Butera