Guido Gambone

GUIDO GAMBONE (1909–1969)

Guido Gambone is one of the more influential Italian ceramic artists in the mid-20th century. Born in Montella, Avellino Italy. He became artistic director at I.C.S. (Industria Ceramica Salernitana) and in 1935 he opened his own studio pottery house, La Faenzerella in Vietri and later in 1950 La Tirrena in Florence.

Gambone’s work fused painting, primitivism, tradition, and modern artistic movements and became enormously influential in both his expressive use of line and patterning and shape forming.

In 1939 he began experimenting with thick, glassy glazes. In 1943 he founded the La Faenzerella pottery in the town, together with Andrea D’Arienzo (1911-1995). The growth of the company was delayed due to WW2 but by in 1947 Guido won the prestigious “Premio Faenza” award. Production expanded and pieces were typically decorated with rough and dense glazes made from a combination of glass and sand. Colors varied from earthy tones to vibrant primaries, softened by the thick glazes. His pieces had a strong primitive feel, quite typical for the Vietri pottery. In 1950, he moved to Florence permanently and founded the La Tirrena pottery house. He worked independently, but other contributed to the pottery’s growing success such as his son Bruno Gambone (born 1936). The pieces he made at La Tirrena were in line with the work made at La Faenzerella, but with a expansive variation in form and glazes. The following years he had his first solo exhibitions and won many important prizes. His work was sold widely in Italy and globally.  The La Tirrena pottery was closed in 1967, two years before Guido’s death at age 60.