This workshop offers a hands-on and intuitive introduction to clay. Participants will experience its transformations, from wet clay to fired piece, and learn to mold a "cuenco" (a simple yet practical object for learning the basics of modeling, creative expression, and firing) in the palm of their hands. The workshop also provides an opportunity to become familiar with the natural elements—earth, water, fire, and air—and understand their role in the creative process. Finally, each participant will have the chance to build a primitive kiln to fire and smoke their pieces, bringing their creations to life.

The techniques taught are simple and structured, allowing participants to easily reproduce the techniques and results at home afterward.

Upon completion of the training, the trainee will be able to:

• Identify the characteristics of clay in the natural environment
• Harvest and purify clay for later creative use
• Apply basic clay modeling techniques
• Build a primitive kiln for firing and smoking ceramics

This five-day workshop offers a hands-on and immersive experience working with clay, from its extraction in nature to its firing in a traditional kiln. Each day provides an opportunity to discover the many creative possibilities of clay in its various states and to fully appreciate the richness of the ephemeral experiences this material offers.

Accompanied and guided throughout the week by Marcela Paz Undurraga, participants will be able to express their personal intuition while benefiting from the exchanges and experiences of the group.

At the end of this week at Campus MaNa, each participant will leave with a comprehensive and tangible experience, both individual and collective, allowing them to reconnect with traditional skills, natural resources, and the process of transforming matter.

Schedule

Day 1

Morning

• Welcome and presentation of Marcela's work
• Introduction to the training objectives
• Review of clay-specific vocabulary
• Explanation of wild clay collection on the MaNa Campus grounds

Afternoon

• Wild clay collection
• Letting the clay rest in water

Day 2

Morning

• Filtration and sieving of the clay slip
• Letting the clay rest and dry on plasterboard

Afternoon

• Painting with liquid clay on various surfaces natural
• Kneading the rested clay
• Storing the clay

Day 3

Morning

• Exchanging balls of clay among participants
• Discovering the basics of modeling techniques
• Modeling a "cuenco"

Afternoon

• Painting stained glass windows with liquid clay using both hands

Day 4

Morning

• Building a primitive kiln
• Firing and smoking the "cuencos"

Afternoon

• Group modeling with clay

Humid

Day 5

Morning

• Discovering the fired and smoked pieces

• Presentation of the completed pieces
• Group discussion and review of the training
• Workshop cleanup

Marcela Paz Undurraga

Born 35 years ago in Santiago, Chile, she studied visual arts and sculpture at Finis Terrae University, then honed her ceramic skills at the Huara-Huara workshop. Between 2017 and 2018, she earned a master's degree in ceramics, art, and function from the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao.

Her career combines creation, teaching, and art mediation. She has been a visual arts teacher and coordinator of ceramic sculpture programs in Chile, an assistant and teaching artist at the Nube ab Foundation, and for several years has led educational workshops in France, including "The Clay Laboratory" and "From Earth to the Moon."

She currently lives and works in Semur-en-Auxois, France, where she co-founded ContreForme with her partner, a space combining a studio and exhibition area, which opened in 2022. Her work, at the crossroads of sculpture and ceramics, has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in France, Chile, Portugal, and Japan, as well as at the 2017, 2019, and 2022 editions of the Révélations Biennale at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Her approach earned her the 2024 Côte-d’Or Young Talents Award. Her creations explore the transformations of matter and the connection to natural elements, in a constant dialogue between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary expression.

https://www.instagram.com/marcelapazundurraga

• Classroom, multipurpose room, workshops with professional equipment
• Materials provided
• Individual and collaborative work
• Workshop sessions
• Active participation and experimentation by participants are encouraged

• Group and individualized monitoring of work, regular check-ins
• Self-assessment of technical skills
• Group presentation
• Attendance sheet for each half-day
• Certificate of completion issued by Campus MaNa