Today’s featured artist is Carmen D’Apollonio, sculptor who explores everything from abstraction to figuration in her ceramic practice. Self-taught in ceramics, Carmen creates sculptural lighting and vessels that fuse craftsmanship with functionality, often infused with humour. As she puts it, “My work is simple; it often gives way to humor. As if clay had its way of being, its own personality.”

Carmen began her creative career as an art director for short films and commercials in the 90s. She then worked alongside artist Urs Fischer for over a decade before launching her own fashion brand, Ikou Tschuss, in 2006, combining modern textiles with traditional artistry.

Since 2014, she’s been working out of her own studio in Los Angeles. Her process begins with sketching, then sculpting the clay form, allowing the piece to evolve along the way. Titles like “I Wish You Were Beautiful” and “Here Comes the Light” hint at her playful, open-ended approach to artmaking.

Today, Carmen continues to create from her Los Angeles studio, bringing clay to life with humour, honesty, and a touch of poetic storytelling.

You can find her work at her website here https://carmendapollonio.com/ and her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/carmendapollonio

Join us on the Colour and Ceramics Podcast today as our host Bob Acton @bobacton strums up an exciting conversation with Vancouver's vibrant artist Suzy Birstein @suzy_birstein! Hold onto your mugs as we dive into Suzy's world of whimsical, figurative ceramic works and paintings. Ready for some artful chit-chat? Tune in! Check out her work at https://www.suzybirstein.com/

Join Bob, Jess, and Rob Sutherland, founders of Good Dirt Studio in Athens, Georgia—a dynamic ceramics space dedicated to creativity, community, and clay on today's podcast episode.

As artists and educators, Jess and Rob have cultivated a welcoming environment where students of all levels can explore the joy of working with their hands. Through their thoughtful teaching and community-focused approach, they’ve built more than just a studio—they’ve created a space for connection, curiosity, and artistic growth. Today on Colour and Ceramics, we talk about their journey, their philosophy on teaching, and how they’re shaping the clay community in Athens and beyond.

And, of course, their pottery and approach to ceramic art.

You can find their work on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gooddirt_athens/ and on their website at https://www.gooddirt.net/