The Art of Figurative Ceramics: A Live Online Journey into Sculpture with Cristina Córdova & Masters in the Field
What is the 4-week Live Online Course?
At the heart of the Center’s offerings is a one-month virtual curriculum designed to deepen your understanding of ceramics from multiple perspectives. Led by internationally renowned experts, our program provides a structured yet dynamic approach to learning, covering building techniques, surface design, and insights into the art business.
Rather than a single viewpoint, our courses offer a multifaceted exploration of the creative process, allowing you to engage with different approaches, methods, and philosophies. Through live, interactive sessions, you'll develop your creative routines while exchanging ideas with teachers and peers from around the world. Our curated classes and diverse community create a rich, immersive learning experience, one that encourages collaboration, innovation, and growth in your artistic practice.
SUMMER 2026: The Art of Figurative Ceramics:
A 4-Week Live Online Journey from Human to Animal sculpture
JUNE 2026 - Enrollment close Monday June 1 (open to all skill levels – limited spaces available)
This 4-week immersion is designed to transform and connect you to a diverse community of ceramic sculptors. Designed for all levels, the program offers the flexibility of a live virtual format while providing the accountability, activation, and camaraderie of live, collaborative group work.
8 esteemed leaders in the arts, including Cristina Córdova, Assis Filho, Beth Cavener, Malene Hartmann Rasmussen, Carolein Smit, Susan Halls, Kukuli Velarde, and Brady Connelly will guide you through every stage of various building techniques, foundational anatomy, from conceptualization to surfaces and professional documentation.
Upon completing the program you will receive a Center For the Study Of Figurative Ceramics Certification. You can learn more about this here. There will be three tiers of accreditation. Building upon last year’s offerings, students who have completed the level I/II courses will be provided additional work requirements and support in obtaining their level II/III certifications.
Classes run from June 2 to June 27, 2026. You can choose to complete all assignments for certification, or simply attend the live sessions or watch the recordings at your own pace. Students pursuing certification will have July to complete assignments, with continued one-on-one coaching with Cristina Córdova and community gatherings throughout the month.
The 1-month intensive includes bi-weekly live virtual meetings that focus on a variety of approaches to help you advance your sculptural practice. All lectures are recorded and will be available on the course platform under the relevant topic in our classroom, so you can watch them at your convenience. You will have lifetime access to all recordings and resources so you can revisit lessons anytime.
By the end of the course, you will have a deeper understanding of key ceramic techniques and pieces that reflects the growth and evolution of your unique artistic voice.
This is an invitation to step more fully into your work.
Over four weeks, this program offers a space to grow, focus, and reconnect with your creative practice, alongside a global community of ceramic sculptors who are just as committed as you are. It’s structured, supportive, and designed to meet you where you are, whether you’re just beginning or looking to deepen an established practice.
The live online format gives you flexibility, but the experience itself is active and engaging. You’ll be learning in real time, asking questions, testing ideas, and staying accountable through a shared group experience that keeps you moving forward.
You’ll be guided by an exceptional group of artists: Cristina Córdova, Assis Filho, Beth Cavener, Malene Hartmann Rasmussen, Carolein Smit, Susan Halls, Kukuli Velarde, and Brady Connelly. Each brings a different perspective and clear, rich ways of working, helping you build skills in hollow construction, anatomy, surface, conceptual inquiry, narrative expression and how to present your work professionally.
You’ll move through the full process of making: from conceptualizing to building and empowering figurative compositions, to activating surfaces and documenting your work. The goal is simple, to help you make strong, more confident decisions in your practice.
At the end of the program, you’ll receive certification from the Center for the Study of Figurative Ceramics, with the option to pursue different levels depending on your goals. If you’ve taken previous courses, you’ll also have the opportunity to continue building toward higher levels of certification with additional support. You can learn more about this here.
The program runs from June 2 to June 27, 2026. Live sessions happen twice a week and are all recorded, so you’ll have lifetime access to revisit them whenever you need.
You can choose how you’d like to engage, whether completing all assignments for certification, attending live sessions, or moving through the recordings at your own pace, in whatever combination best supports your process. Beyond the one-month of classes, you’ll have the entire month of July to complete your work, supported by ongoing one-on-one guidance from Cristina and regular group check-ins to help you stay focused and moving forward.
By the end of this experience, you will have crossed a threshold. Your understanding of form, material, and voice will expand, and with it, your sense of clarity and direction.
Open to all skill levels – limited spaces available.
PRICE: *$2,200. Enrollment close June 1.
*Price excludes tax. Taxes apply based on your location and local laws.
FLEXIBLE PAYMENT OPTIONS:
One-Time Purchase: Complete your registration in one step and enjoy immediate peace of mind.
Two-Times Payment: Split your total into two convenient monthly installments while maintaining full access to the program.
Payment Plans: Choose the Buy Now, Pay Later option to split your payment into easy, manageable installments by selecting to pay with Klarna, afterpay or affirm at checkout.
Other Payment Options: Prefer to pay by check or need additional assistance? Contact us at figurativeceramics@gmail.com for more details.
Summer 2026 Instructors and Collaborators:
-
![A woman smiling with dark hair in a bun and sleeveless top on the left, and a detailed, weathered statue of a person with intricate clothing and a somber expression on the right.]()
CRISTINA CÓRDOVA
Handbuilding the Human Figure: Structure, Proportion, and Rhythm
FOUNDER /INSTRUCTOR -
![A person standing confidently in an art studio beside a detailed sculpture of a mythical creature with large ears and intricate details.]()
BETH CAVENER
Gesture & Tension:Crafting Animal Sculptures with Psychological depth
INSTRUCTOR -
![A pair of shorts made from hexagonal pieces on a mannequin, alongside a man wearing them in a tropical setting.]()
ASSIS FILHO
The Architecture of the Body: Anatomy for Figurative Sculptors
INSTRUCTOR -
![Person standing between two large, abstract sculptures on wooden pallets.]()
MALENE HARTMANN
Creatures of Clay: Myth, Folklore, and the Narrative Figure
INSTRUCTOR -
![A split image featuring a bearded man in a light green shirt on the left, and a sculpted bust of a woman's head with flowing hair on the right.]()
SUSAN HALLS
Energy in Clay:Building Creature Forms Through Rapid Construction
INSTRUCTOR -
![Person outdoors in forest; sculpture of a humanoid figure with a ram's head sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose.]()
CAROLEIN SMIT
The Uncanny Surface: Transformation Through Texture
INSTRUCTOR -
![]()
KUKULI VELARDE
Resilience in Clay: Renewal, Continuity & the Artist’s Inner Landscape
INSTRUCTOR -
![A person sitting indoors, smiling, and looking to the side, dressed in a dark polka dot shirt, with an arm resting on their knee.]()
JUNE 2026 CURRICULUM
JUNE 2026 CURRICULUM
WEEK 1
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, June 2-3 | Cristina Córdova
(4:00PM–7:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Handbuilding the Human Figure: Structure, Proportion, and Rhythm
+ Cristina Córdova will guide participants through her signature slab-based approach to constructing the human figure. Working from photographic references, she will demonstrate how simple pattern systems can be used to establish proportion, movement, and structural clarity in a pose. Students will work with a newly designed set of patterns shared for the first time.
+ Participants will explore strategies for developing rhythm and accuracy in the body while learning how subtle shifts in planes and gesture bring vitality to a sculpted figure.
+ She will also introduce foundational approaches to surface development using slips and underglazes, showing how surface can reinforce form, atmosphere, and narrative.
SATURDAY, June 6 | Assis Filho
(11:00 AM –1:00 PM EDT)
The Architecture of the Body: Anatomy for Figurative Sculptors
+ Building directly on the figure initiated in Cristina’s session, sculptor Assis will guide participants deeper into the language of anatomy.
+ Strategies for understanding and constructing some of the most expressive and challenging areas of the body: the head, the hands, and the nuanced structures that give life to a figure.
WEEK 2
TUESDAY, June 9 | Carolein Smit
(11:00 AM –1:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
The Uncanny Surface: Transformation Through Texture
+ Caroline will share the conceptual motivations behind her work and demonstrate the processes she uses to achieve her distinctive surfaces and forms.
+ Participants will explore how clay can move beyond the decorative and conventional to become a powerful vehicle for emotional and psychological expression.
SATURDAY, June 13 | Susan Halls
(11:00 AM –1:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Energy in Clay: Building Creature Forms Through Rapid Construction
+ Susan Halls will share the evolution of her practice and the inner world that fuels her remarkable sculptures.
+ In her session, Susan will discuss how she develops ideas through drawing and channels them into sculptural form, revealing how energy, strategic spontaneity, and ongoing research shape her objects.
+ She will demonstrate her fast, dowel technique, a lively construction method that allows forms to emerge quickly, responsive to the clay's own momentum. Because the structure develops with such immediacy, the resulting sculptures retain a sense of motion and freshness, qualities that give Susan’s work its unmistakable vitality.
WEEK 3
TUESDAY, June 16 | Brady Connelly
(5:00 PM –7:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Holding Presence: Elevating the Way You Photograph Your Sculpture
+ Brady will share how to create clear, compelling photographs that accurately represent your work. Brady will break down lighting techniques and demonstrate how to manage and work around challenging reflections.
+ Brady will cover practical strategies for both shooting and editing, addressing common limitations of a home studio setup. Brady will also teach simple and effective editing techniques to enhance, correct, and refine images.
+ By the end of the session, Brady will provide a practical, repeatable approach to photographing artwork, improving clarity and presence across applications, websites, and social media.
SATURDAY, June 20 | Kukuli Velarde
(11:00 AM –1:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Resilience in Clay: Renewal, Continuity and the Artist’s Inner Landscape
+ In this session Kukuli Velarde invites participants into a conversation about the deeper forces that shape an authentic artistic practice.
+ Kukuli will reflect on how personal history, cultural memory, and resilience inform the making of sculpture.
+ Alongside this discussion, she will comment on her philosophy behind repairing and mending ceramic works, addressing cracks, breaks, and structural challenges that arise in the sculptural process. This is a lecture-based session, not a demonstration.
WEEK 4
TUESDAY, Jun3 23 | Beth Cavener
(5:00 PM –7:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Gesture & Tension: Crafting Animal Sculptures with Psychological Depth
+ Beth Cavener will share the powerful methodology behind her emotionally charged sculptures. Beth is known for transforming animals into complex psychological portraits, capturing vulnerability, tension, and raw human emotion through the language of clay.
+ During her session, Beth will demonstrate her solid sculpting approach and explain how she translates references into dynamic sculptural forms.
+ She will also discuss her ideation process, including how she develops her maquettes to explore movement, gesture, and narrative, allowing her to test ideas, refine intention, and build clarity before committing to a full-scale piece.
SATURDAY, June 27| Malene Hartmann
(11:00 AM –1:00 PM EDT) VIA ZOOM
Creatures of Clay: Myth, Folklore, and the Narrative Figure
+ Malene Hartmann Rasmussen will share a glimpse into a sculptural practice shaped by folklore, animism, and the mysterious logic of fairy tales.
+ Malene will discuss the evolution of her artistic trajectory and the influences that inform her work, while demonstrating her hand-modeling approach to building these distinctive creatures.
*All times listed are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), North Carolina Time. You can find your time zone equivalent here: https://savvytime.com/
HOW WILL THIS WORK?
Throughout this journey, you will engage in live sessions twice a week throughout the month of June, hosted by founder and instructor Cristina Córdova, in collaboration with our ceramic masters. You will immerse yourself in demonstrations, lectures, one-on-one coaching and constructive group gatherings.
In addition to the month of live sessions with the artists, each class includes an optional assignment. These assignments have deadlines for students who wish to pursue certification. All deadlines fall in July, extending the duration of the course to two months for those who choose to complete the assignments and obtain the certificate.
You can choose to complete all assignments by the deadlines, or simply attend the live sessions or watch the recordings at your own pace. The program is designed to be flexible and support different learning goals and levels of engagement.
You will also receive support through one on one online meetings with Cristina Córdova, community gatherings with fellow students, and ongoing assistance by email, where Cristina will answer your questions and guide you throughout your process.
The only technological requirements are an internet connection, a computer, phone, or tablet, and Zoom. Once enrolled you will receive instructions for a full tech check to ensure everything is set up for an optimal experience.
Together, we will culminate our shared experience with a virtual group show and tell on August 1, where you will have the opportunity to showcase your work and celebrate our collective artistic evolution.
All sessions will be recorded and will be available in your course platform (Teachable), lifetime access, for as long as the Center for the Study of Figurative Ceramics exists, ensuring that you can revisit the content at your convenience and keep it as a lasting resource for continued inspiration and growth.
You can learn more about this course here.
Materials & Kiln Access
At its most basic, you will need a well-ventilated workspace with good lighting, a worktable (ideally near a wall for reference images), and a computer, phone, or tablet with a camera and Zoom, along with a stable internet connection. You’ll also need clay and basic modeling tools. After enrollment, you will receive a general list of recommended tools, books, equipment, and supplies, and following each artist’s presentation, a more specific list of their materials will be shared.
kiln access is recommended but not strictly required. You can still follow the lessons, watch demonstrations, and apply the techniques to your own practice without one.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
This course brings together a group of leading contemporary artists to help you develop compelling figurative sculpture and while deepening your understanding of form, structure, and surface.
Each session is designed to be both practical and conceptually grounded, giving you tools you can apply directly in your studio, from construction methods and anatomy to narrative, gesture, and surface development.
Cristina Córdova opens the course with her slab-based approach to building the human figure. You will learn how to use pattern systems to establish proportion, movement, and structure, along with foundational surface strategies using slips and underglaze to support form and atmosphere.
Beth Cavener will guide you through her process for creating sculptures with strong psychological presence. She will demonstrate how to develop gesture, tension, and dynamic composition, and how to translate references into emotionally charged sculptural forms.
Malene Hartmann Rasmussen will explore how to build narrative through sculptural form by combining human, animal, and symbolic elements. She will demonstrate her hand-modeling techniques and share how imagination, storytelling, and material responsiveness can be used to create cohesive and expressive figures.
Assis Fihlo will focus on the anatomy of the human figure, guiding you through key structures such as the head, hands, and other expressive areas of the body. Through clear demonstrations, you will learn how to observe, simplify, and construct anatomy to improve both accuracy and expressive strength in your work.
Susan Halls will demonstrate her fast slab-building technique, focusing on how to construct dynamic forms with energy and spontaneity. You will learn how to work more intuitively, allowing movement, character, and personality to emerge naturally through the making process.
Carolein Smit will introduce her approach to creating complex and expressive surfaces that move between refinement and distortion. She will demonstrate techniques for building forms and layering surfaces, showing how these decisions can shape the emotional and psychological impact of a piece.
Kukuli Velarde brings a critical perspective on identity, history, and personal narrative in clay. Alongside this, she will share her philosophy for repairing and resolving ceramic pieces, addressing cracks, breaks, and structural challenges as part of the sculptural process.
Brady Connelly will share how to photograph your sculptures with clarity and intention, using lighting, composition, and simple editing techniques to create professional images that accurately represent your work.
This is a course focused on building skills, expanding your visual language, and giving you concrete tools to grow your sculptural practice and strengthen your voice.
What People Are Saying
PREVIOUS STUDENTS WORK:
This gallery highlights projects created by participants in our previous courses and internships focus on figurative construction strategies. Our students come from a wide range of skill levels, and each one successfully adapts the assignments to their own experience and goals. This flexible approach ensures that everyone can learn and grow while exploring the diverse techniques and styles taught by our different guest artists.
