In conversation: with Sofia de Moser Leitão

January 26, 2021

Meet Sofia - a self taught ceramic artist who lives in between Paris and Lisbon. Using her time in confinement, she indulged herself with her creations, in a dreamy artist residency outside of Paris. We were curious to hear more about Sofia's fascination with her wonderful craft (and couldn't help but ask a few wellness related questions too of course). Read on for some inspiration!

Could you tell us more about your story and how you got to the place where you are now?

I’ve been doing ceramics for almost three years, apart from working in a creative agency based in Paris. But now since we are confined, I decided to come to Barbizon for a couple of weeks , an art residency called La Folie Barbizon, to do my ceramics next to the Fontainebleau forest! It’s such a dreamy place. 

 

 

What led you to work with ceramics? 

I was doing a master in Cultural Management in Lisbon but I had some free time during the day so I started doing some ceramics workshops without any kind pretension, just to have fun with my hands. Then I did the first year of a ceramics course in Lisbon in an art school and then I couldn’t stop doing ceramics. 

 

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me in these weird times is going to the market in the morning to do some grocery shopping (Marché de Bastille ou Aligre). 

Then I do some stretching at home with loud music, then a shower, and then I go to the living room with a large coffee,I change the playlist for some 60’s/70’s more chill music and I start working on my ceramics or for my other job in this creative agency.

At the end of the day I like to have a little glass of wine and at night I get super excited because either it’s game’s night or it’s movie night in the projector we have at home. 

 

How would you define the style of your work and how has it developed over the past months? 

It’s very free and organic in the shapes but more playful and fun in the colors. I’m still exploring a lot of things, still learning with my mistakes. I’m not trying to make something serious. I just want to have fun and want to explore the shapes and colour combinations I have in my mind. 

 

What do you like most about ceramics?

It helps a lot disconnecting from the world. 

 

Who is your favorite role model? Do you maybe have a muse?

It’s definitely my mother and maybe Patti Smith too. Both strong, beautiful and intelligent women.

 

Where do you go for inspiration?

I take inspiration from everything and everywhere. It can be places, books, people, clothes, and music...

 

What is your favorite piece in your collection?

The pieces I was most proud of are the ones with the squares. I really felt like myself making these.

 

Do you have a dream project that you would love to realize someday?

I have a lot of dream projects. But I still need to explore so many things in ceramics before doing these projects I have in mind.  

 

Do you have a stress management technique?

Yes, doing ceramics helps a lot. And dancing. I just did some gaga dance classes this past weeks with a great choreographer and it was so so good. 

 

Sofia wearing our Ayurvedic Face Mask Terra 

 

Can you tell us about your beauty and wellness rituals?

Always cleaning my face and drinking a lot of water during the day.

 

 

What's your favourite scent?

I love the smell of the fleur d’oranger. 

 

What’s a beauty product you can't live without?

Exfoliating. With ceramics I feel I’m always carrying my dirty hands to the face. So at the end of the day I really feel my face needs an exfoliation to clean profoundly. And then I add hydrating cream. 

 

Last but not least...

 

What’s your star sign? Cancer

Your favorite book? Just kids from Patti Smith

Your favorite place on earth? Serra da Arrábida 

Favorite restaurant? Farol in Serra da Arrábida 

What’s on repeat on your playlist? Plantasia from Mort Garson

Tea or coffee? Both

Guilty pleasure? I love to listen to the songs from Dirty Dancing and Grease

Current obsession? The five alpakas of a friend that lives in Normandie.

Lisbon or Paris? Both

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