Digital-to-analog ceramics: code, clay, hand. Sculptural pieces produced in limited drops for collectors and curated spaces.
Lea Studios is a research-led ceramic practice operating at the intersection of digital fabrication and manual forming methods. The studio develops objects through hybrid processes that combine parametric modeling, controlled extrusion, and iterative fine hand-finishing.
The practice is shaped by two complementary sensibilities: one grounded in embodied material memory, the other in structural analysis and digital logic. Their dialogue generates forms that are neither purely intuitive nor entirerly engineered.
Drop Series — Vol. 01 a signature language for collectible ceramics, each with a distinct aesthetic sensitivity, narrative approach, and material composition
The Drop Series reflects the studio’s hybrid ethos, where computational processes and ancestral gestures coexist. Each release is an act of resistance against the stocking and the immediate. An offering to those who view collecting not as consumption, but as care. Here, ceramics are not reproduced endlessly. They are released in sequences. A rarefied cadence of making, revealing, and withholding — as in any true conversation.
We don’t offer services.
We open up dialogues.
To collect
Numbered editions or one-of-a-kind pieces designed for curated interiors. All pieces are available for purchase. Upon request, an official catalogue gathers images and detailed information, designed for consultation and selection.
To acquire
Selected pieces are available exclusively through acquisitions for interior, architectural and styling projects, including fair installations, hospitality, retail and curated residential contexts. A curated archive of available pieces is accessible upon request.
To commission
Bespoke projects and co-designed creations for interior, architectural or artistic contexts. From sculptural installations to custom ceramic elements, each piece is developed through close dialogue and conceptual alignment.
To experience
Site-specific installations, curated encounters and sensorial events where clay becomes part of a shared ritual. These experiences celebrate the material as a medium for connection — between people, places and ideas.
The founder
Mother and daughter duo
Ionela and Valentina are united by a mutual
fascination with giving form through intuition
and research. They founded Lea Studios in 2023
— a ceramic atelier where code and gesture
support each other, just as they do in their
everyday life as mother and daughter.
IONELA BELLATO
With a background in interior and computational
design, she developed a deep interest in the
intersection between digital systems, material
behavior and emotional resonance. Her research
explores the expressive potential of clay through
parametric design, robotic fabrication and poetic
narrative. She leads the studio’s creative direction
shaping its hybrid identity.
VALENTINA COJOCARU
Intuitive and grounded, she embodies the
tactile intelligence at the core of the studio.
Her approach is rooted in gesture, patience and
instinct. She complements the studio’s digital
experiments with a strong sense of rhythm
and material presence, shaping and refining
each piece by hand.
Selected milestones:
Founded the studio in a former bank turned into
a ceramic atelier in northern Italy. Exhibited at
Salone del Mobile, Isola Design, 1000 vases,
Maison&Objet and Code&Craft London.
Collaborations with design furniture as Saba
Italia, Roda Outdoors, Cassina, Porro, Lualdi,
Lapalma, Poltrona Frau, Miniforms. Artworks
featured in Porro New York showroom, private
collections across Europe and the US.
Special event for Bulgari (2024) with designer
Federica Paglia and commissions for venetian
artist Elisabetta Di Maggio (2025) in Frangibile at
GAM Turin. Featured in Homo Faber Guide as
rising stars in contemporary ceramic design,
Dezeen, Living Design Issue Corriere della Sera.