Biancodichina

Biancodichina

ALICE REINA
Turin, Italy

In 2015, gradually leaving her work as an architect, Alice Reina founded Biancodichina: a contemporary porcelain studio working on the boundaries between design, craftsmanship and art. Her research taps into her readings and nature - which she takes time to observe - and it’s guided by the lateral thinking channeled, just enough, by the studies in architecture.

Porcelain almost immediately proved to be the perfect material to give shape to Alice’s imaginary and the pleasure of working it and making each piece by hand is fundamental. Biancodichina’s work is driven by the curiosity to manipulate porcelain to its limits, reaching unexpected results. She creates objects whose shapes, transparency and surface finishes make us doubt about their consistency or even the materials they are made of. Biancodichina works encompass objects, furniture and lighting.


“ Thinking fragility as a strength ”

Discover more about Biancodichina

The uniqueness of artisanal products is found in their story - discover it!

In the making

Alice works with stub porcelain: she realizes thin surfaces that she handles and shapes by hand or with the help of chalk or wooden tools. To make her pieces coloured, Alice uses paste/dough colours: she measures and adds pigments to dry porcelain, to knead it again.

Alice prefers the “biscuit” surface that is cooked without glazes: at 1280 degrees the porcelain vitrifies and, if conveniently sanded, it becomes smooth and silky as a river stone.

Special features

Alice uses Limoges porcelain for its plasticity because her work undergoes the material to very high tensions that few clays are able to sustain. For thinner and more fragile objects, she uses paper-porcelain, which is a mix of porcelain and cellulose that allows obtaining translucent and lightweight surfaces.

Material for introspection

Alice sees in porcelain endless possibilities and the perfect material to scope themes she cares very much, as fragility and ephemerality of everything. It’s a material she’s still studying and from which she’s still learning. Alice has learned to slow down with patience and care: the essential characteristics to realize every single piece.

A chat with the founder of Biancodichina

Alice’s work is driven by the curiosity; she loves to manipulate porcelain to its limits, reaching unexpected results. She creates objects whose shapes, transparency and finish make us doubt about their real consistency or even the materials they are made of. Biancodichina works encompass objects, furniture and lighting.

Read the interview

You might wonder...

Can I put food inside it?

Yes, but avoid using with greasy and oily food.

How best to care for Biancodichina products?

If necessary, clean them with water and natural soap.

What's the unique feature of Biancodichina?

You can see the surprising use of porcelain in her products. Biancodichina creates objects whose shapes, transparency and surface finishes make us doubt about their consistency or even the materials they are made of.