Heads Up: Expressive Wall-Hanging Heads

Class Description

Join Clayroom with ceramics artist Kyungmin Park for a two-day workshop focused on creating expressive wall-hanging ceramic heads. All levels are welcome, and no prior figurative sculpture experience is required. The workshop will begin with a one-hour artist talk, followed by two days of hands-on sculpting. Participants will create a wall-hanging sculptural head about 8-10 inches tall, learning how to build a strong foundation form and develop expressive facial features. Based on realism, the workshop emphasizes observation, proportion, and intentional alteration of facial elements to explore emotion. Saturday, April 11, 2026 (10:00 AM- 4:00 PM) One-hour artist talk, demonstrations, and basic structure of the head form. Sunday, April 12, 2026 (10:00 AM- 4:00 PM) Refining facial features, developing expression, surface treatment, and facial adjustments. Day 1 focuses on constructing the basic human head form. Kyungmin will demonstrate techniques for building a stable structure and forming primary facial features while considering balance and wall-hanging functionality. Day 2 centers on refining details and developing expression. Participants will explore how subtle shifts in the eye, mouth, eyebrows, and head angle can communicate different emotions. Surface finishing and underglaze coloring will also be demonstrated. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a solid understanding of how form and facial structures can be used to convey emotions through figurative clay work. Kyungmin Park is a South Korean-born ceramic artist. Her work explores themes of introspection, diversity, societal expectations, and illuminating human connections across cultures and languages. After two decades in South Korea, she moved to the United States, seeking greater creative opportunities. Experiencing a new language and culture and the many challenges she faced as an immigrant made her realize that figurative sculpture is more than a personal passion. It is a powerful tool to communicate emotions, experiences, and ideas without the limitations that words and customs can impose. Kyungmin earned her BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2008 and her MFA from the University of Georgia in 2012. She currently lives and works in Boston and is an Associate Professor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. She has conducted over 40 workshops and lectures at various art institutions. website: kyungminpark.com IG: @kyungminpark929