We are wired to recognize ourselves. A face, a posture, the curve of a thigh—these things pull us in, make us pause. We see a figure, and, almost instinctively, we search for a story, a connection, something familiar.

Clay has always been a vessel for this recognition. Long before museums, before galleries, before art as we name it now, people shaped figures from earth. In the Neolithic settlements of Eurasia and Africa, in the Pre-Columbian communities of the Caribbeanand the Americas, clay was pressed, coiled, and fired into forms that carried the weight of human longing. These figures held fear and devotion, memory and myth. They were reflections—fragments of a shared reality, speaking across time.

The Center for the Study of Figurative Ceramics was born from this simple but essential need to sculpt the figure—a place where artists can come together to learn from one another, to refine skills, to push the limits of clay and ideas alike. Here, figuration is a conversation—a way of exploring, questioning, and understanding the human form in all its depth, alongside the many other possibilities of representational work in clay.

The center was founded in 2023 by figurative ceramic sculptor Cristina Córdova. It offers a range of learning opportunities which include virtual courses of varying lengths, in-person masterclasses, and residencies. These programs are designed for artists at every stage of their ceramic journey, providing multiple pathways into the world of figurative ceramics, fostering growth within a supportive and engaged community.