9th Edition of the Matres International Women’s Ceramics Festival

“CIBUM” - NOURISHING ART, NOURISHING THE EARTH August 25 - 30 - Cava de’ Tirreni /Vietri sul Mare

An international event dedicated to contemporary ceramic creativity, design and food culture

CIBUM “Matres Award Designer - Nourishing Form”

Ceramic design competition dedicated to the design of food and tableware objects

Exhibition with awards presented within the framework of the Matres Festival.

THE CALL IS ADDRESSED TO WOMEN AND MEN ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS

Application deadline: 5 July 2026

Ceramic design competition dedicated to the design and creation of objects for food and table.

Exhibition with awards in the context of the Matres Festival.

THE CALL IS OPEN TO WOMEN AND MEN ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS.

PREFACE TO THE CALL

The Matres International Women’s Ceramics Festival was created as a space for dialogue, vision and exchange, the festival invites artists to reflect on one of humanity's oldest and most universal gestures: to nourish not only the body, but also the eyes.

With the theme CIBUM - Nourishing Art, Nourishing the Earth, the exhibition-competition “Matres Design Award - Nourishing Form” is conceived as a symbolic meeting place , where ceramics becomes a sensitive language capable of narrating care, memory, sustainability, conviviality and peace.

This call invites artists to give form to a thought, an experience, and a personal or collective vision of nourishment through works that speak of land, table, community, identity and future.

THE THEME OF THE COMPETITION

“Matres Award Designer - Nourishing the Form.”

The theme “Nourishing Form” is an invitation to design and create ceramic objects that can combine function, beauty and meaning.

In ceramic design, form is never neutral: it welcomes, contains, measures, protects, offers. Nourishing form means designing objects that respond to the rituals of food and the table with ethical, sustainable and aesthetic awareness.

Works should reflect on the role of design as a mediator between humans, food and the environment, exploring the cultural and social value of everyday objects.

By way of example and without limitation, the works may investigate:

- The relationship between form and function in tableware objects;

- The design of the table as a space of relationship and conviviality;

- The balance between aesthetics, ergonomics, and use;

- The sustainability of materials and production processes;

- The contemporary reinterpretation of traditional forms;

- The symbolic value of containing, serving, sharing;

- The dialogue between design, craftsmanship and artistic research.

Works can be functional, symbolic or conceptual, as long as the connection to the theme of design for food and table is clear and motivated.

Works can be functional, symbolic or conceptual, as long as they clearly convey their relationship to the proposed theme.

PURPOSE

The Matres Award Designer - Nurturing the Form intends:

- To enhance contemporary ceramic design related to food;

- Promote design research in the relationship between form and nurture;

- Support the dialogue between art, design and craft;

- Fostering a project culture attentive to sustainability and quality;

- Fostering discussion among artists and designers from different backgrounds.

The exhibition will be hosted in the institutional spaces of the Matres Festival. The selected artists will participate in the official award ceremony.

AWARDS

The works will be evaluated during the course of the event and the prizes will be awarded during the closing ceremony on 30 August 2026.

Jury selection prize € 2,000.

Second prize € 1,000.

Third prize €500.

Honourable Mention (The prize will be awarded in ceramic materials with a value equivalent to €300).

JURY

The Jury will be composed of experts in art, design and contemporary ceramics.

Works will be evaluated according to:

- consistency with the theme;

- Design and technical quality;

- Originality of formal research;

- Balance between function and aesthetics;

- innovative and narrative ability.

The Jury will determine the winners who will be announced on Sunday morning. The Jury’s decision is final and binding.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE

THE CALL IS OPEN to Artist(s) who have had experience of ceramic art for no less than 7 years (excluding students currently enrolled in Art Institutes* and Academies of Fine Arts**)

Registration must be done exclusively by filling out the form with attached required documentation.

NOTICE FOR FREE CATEGORY REGISTRATIONS * and **: Before filling out the Registration Form, contact the Association at [email protected] to receive appropriate instructions.

• Applications must be submitted through the dedicated form on the website by midnight (Italian time) on the  July 5, 2026 in the dedicated FORM of APS PANDORA.  www.pandoraceramiste.it In the dedicated section: “Matres Award Designer - Nourishing the Form.” With attached required documentation.

The results of the selection will be communicated by 30/07/2026 via email to participants.

Works by artists who will not be attending the Matres Festival International must be received by Saturday, August 22. Artists attending the Festival will receive an email with instructions for the delivery of their work by July 26, 2026.

Send to the following address: ...........(Address will be given later)

The organization assumes no responsibility for any damage, theft or breakage of the works.

Transport and insurance costs are entirely the responsibility of the participating artist, who must arrange shipment through a courier of their choice. The return of the artwork must also be organised and prepaid by the artist in advance ( the courier who will arrange for the packing and pickup of the work at the exhibition venue).

All works must be carefully and properly packaged. The organisers will take the utmost care in handling the artworks but cannot be held responsible for any accidental damage.

Furthermore, no liability will be accepted for theft, damage or loss arising from any cause.

For works arriving from countries outside the European Union, the artist must cover all costs related to customs duties, according to national regulations concerning the temporary import and re-export of artworks.

SELECTION OF WORKS

To facilitate participation and support the artistic freedom of the artists in the exhibition-competition ‘CIBUM – Matres Award Designer: Nourishing Form,

• no specific technique is required, all ceramic techniques are allowed;
• participation is with a single work or installation that does not exceed 50 cm in depth;
• participation is open to individual or group artists;
• the works should be made mainly of ceramics;
• other materials may be incorporated, as long as they do not exceed 1/3 of the work;
• the work must meet the maximum dimensions specified in the notice;
• it is essential that the relationship between work and theme is recognizable and justified in the attached description;
• the work must be owned by the participating artist or collective.

PARTICIPATION and APPLICATION.

The competition is open to male and female artists and designers, of all nationalities.

Experience in ceramics or design is required (enrolled in Art Institutes and Academies of Fine Arts are eligible).

Each participant may submit only one work.

Participation is free of charge only for those enrolled in Art Institutes and Academies of Fine Arts.

There is a fee: € 30. The fees will be allocated to the development of a dedicated section on the website, promotional activities, and the catalogue.

The participation fee must be paid to the following bank account of APS PANDORA ARTISTE CERAMISTE: BANK UNICREDIT, AGENCY Via C. Tafuri, 85414 Cava de’ Tirreni (SA) IBAN IT 93 A 02008 76171 000102973367 BIC SWIFT CODE: UNCRITM1637

Each participant may submit one artwork only.

The work or installation may have a maximum size of 50×50 cm.

Participants are required to declare that the submitted works are their own property.

The winning works will remain the property of APS PANDORA ARTISTE CERAMISTE.

The artworks must not have previously exhibited or awarded in other competitions. If they have been presented in other exhibitions or competitions, this must be declared by the participant, otherwise the work may be excluded from the exhibition.

LIABILITY

Participation in the competition implies full and unconditional acceptance of the terms of this call. A panel of experts will select the works and the Jury’s decision is final.

APS PANDORA ARTISTE CERAMISTE bank account.

BANK: UNICREDIT Agency / Branch: CAVA DE’ TIRRENI

IBAN IT 93 A 02008 76171 000102973367 BIC SWIFT Code: UNCRITM1637

For information please contact the organizing secretariat: [email protected]

INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR APPLICATION

“Matres Award Designer – Nourishing Form"

Matres International Women's Ceramics Festival

26-30 August, 2026

APPLICATION DEADLINE - 05/07/2026

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name 

Surname 

Company name (if applicable)

Address

City

Postal Code

Province / State

Country 

Date of birth: ___/____/______ Place of birth.             

E mail

Phone number(s)

Title of the Work

Dimensions Height ____________________________

                       Width ____________________________

                       Depth ____________________________

Brief artist presentation (maximum 7 lines)

Brief description of the Work (maximum 7 lines)

Technical details

PHOTO #1 OF THE WORK on a white background - JPG format with 72 dpi resolution, 2000 X 1333 pixels (max 3 MEGA)

PHOTO N.2 OF THE WORK on a white background - JPG format with 72 dpi resolution, 2200 X 1333 pixels (max 3 MEGA)

 Artist portrait photo n.1 - JPG format, 2500 x2500 pixel resolution - black and white

Please comply with the specified image requirements.

PDF or JPG copies of the receipt for the exhibition fee (30 euros; students are exempt) must be submitted.

Social media links (Facebook and/or Instagram)

Website (if available)

□ I declare that I accept the terms of this Call and guarantee the authenticity of the information provided.

□ I authorise the processing of my personal data in accordance with Italian Legislative Decree n.196 of 30 June 2003.

□ I declare that I hold the rights to the submitted material and authorise APS Pandora Artiste Ceramiste to use it in promotional documentation, on its website and social media channels, and for communication purposes related to the event.

By completing the form, the participant confirms that they have read and fully accept the regulations of the CIBUM “Matres Award Designer - Nourishing Form” Matres 2026 - and acknowledges the declarations stated above.

In witness whereof, place and date