Clara Holt is the pseudonym of the illustrator and ceramist Sonia Pasquinelli. The name is taken from a character in a story by Raymond Carver titled “Are You a Doctor?,” a text deeply cherished by the artist.

Each work by Clara, through original and imaginative illustrations, narrates myths and legends from folklore, the result of the artist’s numerous and personal readings. In Clara’s poetic, the allure of myth lies in the attempt to provide a primitive, universal answer to the mysteries of the cosmos and life that have always questioned humanity. This is achieved through concrete and tangible images that speak to the more irrational, unconscious, and hidden aspects of human nature.

Through continuous research and experimentation, Clara has found the sgraffito technique to be an effective and immediate means to express her graphic expressiveness. This ancient ceramic decoration technique, present in various cultures worldwide, involves applying a layer of slip (a mixture of clay, pigment, and water) to the surface, then scratching and removing it in the desired areas using a sharp tool, revealing the contrasting underlying layer.