Marta Pia and Fiona Ryan

Teaches at Pioneer Works

Marta Pia is a designer and maker based in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in Spain of Scandinavian heritage, she developed a curiosity for simple mechanisms and the fine line between art and product. This led her to a degree in Fashion Design from the Instituto Europe di Design in Madrid. Her thesis project applied the principles of origami to leather producing a line of transforming accessories that was granted the MyOwnShow accessories award in Italy in 2007. After moving to NYC in 2008 she began experimenting with new medias like paper, metal, wood and ceramics. This curiosity for different creative processes led to an interest on marbling: a simple printing technique that provided strong rich patterns and was applicable to different materials. After apprenticing with a local marbler in Madrid, Marta began incorporating marbled designs on her ceramic and fabric pieces, as well as offering introductory workshops to share this technique with other makers. In the past years, Marta has worked as an apprentice for Liloveve Jewelry Studio and as a ceramic technician at Choplet Ceramics studio (both in Brooklyn) as well as many other collaborations with different designers, craftsmen and artists. ---- Growing up in Ireland, Fiona Ryan always had an appreciation for natural materials and a respect for the traditional crafts that were passed down through generations- often through word of mouth. She moved to New York in 2004 with a B.Sc. in Multimedia from Dublin City University, and began working as an animator and graphic designer. In 2007, While working on graphics and textile prints for Victoria’s Secret, she started her own business,Fifo Cycle, making hats and accessories for cycling. Fiona incorporates many techniques in her designs for Fifo Cycle, often screen printing and dyeing fabrics and trimming with leather. “By prudently sourcing materials, refining patterns, and expanding techniques, always being mindful of an object’s functionality, the design will take care of itself” says Ryan.