Patricia Silva-Santisteban was once an architect in Peru, and design will be always her first love. She now she teaches computer systems. Logic and art have always been intertwined in her life.

 

Her work in clay is an exploration of vessels, architecture, and the human body. She uses the different components (a stair, a nose) in combinations dictated by the behavior of the clay and the specific shape of the element.

 

She sees her faces as modern unfinished studies on huacos (ornamental clay vessels with representations of animals, people, or abstract shapes in Inca and pre-Inca cultures); some may be used funeral urns. Her tables are small absurd buildings; she loves stairs, doors, and other architectural objects, but not necessarily in the expected places. She says her horses are from Eqqumarka, an ancient city where every child received a horse as a companion; in the ruins of this city, these companions were found.

 

She has begun to incorporate fused glass into her clay pieces, which brings in light. Her lamps, while not providing enough light to work by, provide enough light to enjoy life.