«Se i vestiti fanno la persona, i piatti fanno il cibo.»
- Kitaoji Rosanjin

Since 2018, the Matres Festival has brought together ceramic artists, designers and makers from around the world. Rooted in the ceramic traditions of Campania, the festival has also travelled beyond the region, reaching as far as Havana. Its ninth edition, held in August 2026, unfolded across five locations Vietri sul Mare, Cava de’ Tirreni, Pontecagnano Faiano, Naples and Serre - and centred on a single word: CIBUM.

Not food as a primary need, but food as a cultural act. The vessel and what it holds. The table as a place where memory is transmitted and community is made.

The theme was not chosen at random for a festival rooted in ceramic art. Clay and food have been intertwined for millennia, from the earliest vessels made to store, prepare and serve what we eat. The bowl, the plate, the jug: objects made to contain something, which in containing it become part of the meaning of the meal itself.

CIBUM brought together international exhibitions, a design competition, a tea ceremony led by visiting artists, talks on ceramics and sustainability, guided visits through the historic botteghe of Vietri, and a communal dinner where every plate on the table had been made by the hands that ate from it.

An important part of this year's festival was Pandora Ability, an initiative promoting social inclusion and employment opportunities through ceramics since 2015. Through working with clay, participants develop skills, explore their creativity and produce ceramic pieces, some of which find their way onto the tables of Michelin-starred chefs.

These photographs were taken during the festival.