In the Studio with Theo Hirschfield: Ceramics, Sculpture & Teaching at Tao of Clay

At Tao of Clay, our teachers are the foundation of everything we do, they bring not only technical skill, but curiosity, thoughtfulness and a deep respect for the material.

Theo Hirschfield is one of those artists who balances intensity with ease. His work spans large scale sculpture and functional ceramics (check out his new wabi bowls)that are grounded in a process that is both physical and intuitive. Whether he’s building forms that push his own limits or guiding students through their first experience at the wheel, Theo brings a warmth and sincerity, we are so grateful for him.

We sat down with Theo to talk about his path, his practice, and what he hopes students take with them beyond the studio.

Tell us about your artistic journey, how did you first discover ceramics and what keeps you passionate about clay today?

I took a ceramics class during my senior year of high school and I was immediately obsessed. I remember feeling super antsy when our professor was giving his first demos because I just wanted to touch the clay. Any free time I had, I was in that classroom working on my throwing skills. 

Eventually, I bought a wheel to keep practicing at home for the summer. I worked at El Pescador Fish Market as a runner and busboy and spent all my money on buying the equipment and materials for a small studio residing along the 4ft wide space along the side of my parent’s house. 

For the first few years of college, I didn’t study ceramics. I was pretty sure I wanted to go work on Wall Street. I realized after taking Econ 1 that the Wall Street hustle I watched in the movies wasn’t going to fulfill me. Perhaps I didn’t give enough effort to that dream, but I had others I knew I wanted to chase. 

When Covid hit, I turned to clay. I started posting videos of myself throwing and built a following. I realized, maybe I can turn this into something. When it was time to go back to college, I knew I wanted a studio, but none were available due to the influx of artists buying up spaces during Covid. One thing led to another and I ended up in San Francisco with my grandparents converting a vintage travel trailer that I bought off craigslist into a mobile ceramic studio. I called her “The Stu.” The Stu served me well for the rest of my time in college. I was accepted into a program at UCSB - the College of Creative Studies -  that allowed me to study ceramics as a sculpture/fine arts major. For the rest of my undergraduate education, I used clay as a medium to create large scale sculpture. 

I now work out of my parents garage and looking back, I realize that the reason I stuck with clay is because it is such an infinite material that allows for constant discovery and collaboration. I have also met so many incredible people and ceramic artists because of clay. Today, 8 years later from my first ceramics class, I still feel that antsy sensation when I am away from my studio. 

Your work balances strength and tenderness, spontaneity and precision. Tell me about this duality we see in your work. How does this show up in your daily life?

The duality in my work is rooted in process. It requires a big effort to build and move around large scale ceramics, but I also treat each piece with the same care as if it were the size of my palm. When I am discovering a new form, I allow myself to make intuitive decisions, but not careless. There’s a certain level of detail that I aspire to achieve with each piece. Although, I do have to remind myself that it is just clay and it is ok if a curve or a line I’ve created isn’t perfect.

 

 

As someone who studied sculpture and now works primarily in clay, how has your background shaped your approach to form and material? Has clay always been your preferred medium?

I’ve always been drawn to clay because of how inherently physical the material is. I’ve always played sports, so it feels natural to me to work with a medium that requires connection between the mind and body. As soon as I open up a bag of clay, I’m asking myself - is it the right consistency? Is it plastic enough? How does the amount of sand/grog feel? How does this clay differ from the one I tried the other day? How does it feel to smush my fingers into it? 

When I work with clay, I like to work with a lot of it. When I feel my forearms tiring and I have clay all over my clothes, I know I am in the zone. Often, I have to force myself to stop working or I won’t have any energy in the studio the next day. I like thick coils and working at scale where the sculpture can feel bigger than me. As soon as I become comfortable with a certain size, I already want to push it further. 

As for form, it is a constant discovery. I’ve recently started collecting various cacti and succulents and I’m always amazed at how nuanced each plant can be with their repetitive patterns, organic shapes, and vivid colors. This has been a great source of inspiration in the studio. 

 

You’ve joined Tao of Clay as a teacher, what excites you most about teaching and helping others expand their clay practice?

It is such a good feeling when I am able to teach one of my students how to center or pull a wall taller and I see their eyes light up. I feel more connected to clay and community when I am teaching. As a working artist, I can be alone in my studio for days at a time, so being able to teach and connect with all kinds of people is something that truly energizes and excites me. 

I also learn a lot from my students. People who have never worked with clay before have intuitive ways of handling and working with the material. In a world where we have access to all sorts of techniques and ideas of what we think is the right way to do something, returning to intuition is invaluable. Especially with clay, a material that comes from the earth and that people have been working long before technology. 

 

 

What’s one lesson you try to impart in your classes that you wish you’d learned earlier in your own practice?

That you don’t need to be hyper focused on technique and tools. I used to think that to build something or throw something I needed to slip and score every time and have the right tools and the right technique to make this shape etc… To be honest, it really just is clay. Play. Experiment. Try not slipping and scoring. Try using a 2x4 as a rib. Try using your fingers as a scraping tool. Try putting thick globs of slip on your piece. Try all the things that feel natural to you. The less focused I am on perfect technique or having the right tools, the more I actually learn because now I am in conversation with the clay. 

You recently had a solo exhibition,  how do you balance your own artistic projects with teaching and social media?

I used to be more focused on social media and filming my process in the studio, but I found that it created friction when I was making work. Going from pressing record on my camera to working on a sculpture can break the creative flow in the studio. In my desire  to pursue my career as an artist more seriously I scaled it back quite a bit. However, because we do live in an age of social media and self promotion, I still work in some time for filming and self promotion. I have a love hate relationship with social media. It has also provided me with so many opportunities in my career, but I’ve also been prone to distraction from the endless array of videos and notifications. I’m still working on that.  

 

For artists just starting out in ceramics, what mindset or practice shift has been most impactful in your growth?

You have to be okay with trying and failing. And I know that’s true for a lot of things in this world but it is an important part of ceramics. You will fail. And your pieces will crack, and you probably will get frustrated. Working with clay is a learned sensation. You have to push the clay too far to see what that feels like. Over time, you will develop this sensation and understanding of the material that only comes from repetitive practice. Instead of letting the failures beat you down, get curious about them. The more you become okay with failing the faster you will grow as an artist and be able to successfully make the pieces you want. 

I still struggle with failing, but I constantly remind myself to stay curious and that every failure is a learning experience. Maybe it’s cliche, but it is so important with ceramics. Get curious and focus on the process, not the product. 

Also, learn how to recycle clay. It's quite easy and it makes failing a whole lot easier knowing that you can just recycle the clay and try again. 

 

What can we expect from you in 2026 and beyond?

Big sculptures, workshops, and more exhibitions!

 

Learn More  About Our Other Teachers

Take A Class With Theo!