Veteran Ceramicist Charts Path To Sustainability

Kiara Matos floated through her Orange Street studio, in a ceramic wonderland entirely of her own making. Over one shoulder, scalloped candlesticks glowed sky and steel blue beneath the light. A pink and orange bird looked out onto the street, its gold beak leading the way. A sprig of red berries peeked out from a squat butter-yellow vase. Not so much as a pinch of clay, it seemed, had gone to waste.

It’s one of the ways that Matos, a Venezuelan American sculptor who opened her 137 Orange St. studio in fall 2021, is growing her practice of sustainability into the new year. Friday, she had a chance to show some of that work as business leaders and state officials stopped by the space for an afternoon tour and conversation.

The group included Gov. Ned Lamont, Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) CEO Fran Pastore, and Department of Community and Economic Development Deputy Commissioner Alexandra Daum. Matos was a recipient of a $10,000 Equity Match Grant (EMG) from the WBDC last year.

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