Sculpting the Expressive Hand with Shiva Nasiri (5 Day)
$475.00
SCULPTING THE EXPRESSIVE HAND
August 4–8, 2026, from 10:00am – 5:00pm
Ceramic artist and instructor Shiva Nasiri leads this immersive five-day sculptural intensive. Across five days, students focus on building and refining the human hand through anatomical study and construction techniques.
About the Workshop
Hands are among the most communicative parts of the body. Before we speak, they already convey tension, softness, resistance, invitation, grief, and care. This workshop approaches the hand not as decoration, but as language.
Artist and instructor Shiva Nasiri guides students through a focused study of proportion, skeletal logic, volume distribution, and the structural relationships between palm, fingers, and wrist. Through close observation and demonstration, students translate anatomical understanding into accurate three-dimensional form while maintaining expressive intent.
Construction emphasizes disciplined slab and solid building methods. Students will learn how to segment complex forms for controlled assembly, manage thickness for structural stability, and refine transitions to prevent distortion or cracking. Alongside technical development, the workshop invites conceptual exploration—how subtle shifts in gesture can transform meaning, and how tension, openness, and form communicate.
Grounded in anatomy yet open to interpretation, this workshop supports both precision and expressive departure. Surface is considered in dialogue with structure, with glazing completed during a scheduled Glaze Day.
Students will leave with a completed sculpted hand and a deeper understanding of how structure, gesture, and surface work together to create meaning.
Learn more about Shiva Nasiri here.
Workshop Schedule
DAY 1–5
10:00am to 12:30pm – Demonstrations focused on anatomy, proportion, and construction techniques. Students will begin and continue building their work with instructor support.
12:30 to 1:30pm – BYO lunch break
1:30 to 5:00pm – Independant practice time, refining, and continued building.
INCLUDED:
- The piece will be bisque fired and ready for pick-up in 3-4 weeks.
- Attendance to one of our Glazy Day Classes, we recommend attending the one Shiva is teaching on Sep 5, 2026 but others are available if that doesn't fit your schedule. Please let us know which date works for you. (Aug 7, 21, Sep 18)
- 1 10kg bag of clay of your choice, additional clay can be purchased
Ideal participants have some clay experience and are interested in developing their sculptural and observational skills. If you are unsure if this workshop is the right fit, please reach out—we’re happy to help guide you.