Ana Cavalcanti

"I love being a ceramic artist. Using my hands as a tool enriches my soul and calms my mind. I strive for function with artistic aesthetics because I find it enriches people's daily lives when they access beautiful, functional craftwork as tools in their homes."

Ana Cavalcanti found her true love for ceramics the first time she transformed clay into something tangible. Since then, she has been experimenting with a variety of techniques. Her primary goal is to fuse functionality and art. Textures play an essential role in her work.

Although the pottery wheel is the primary tool used, hand-building with slabs and coils plays an important role. Embossing is Ana's primary decoration technique, and now she's been experimenting with underglazes decorations. After the bisque fire, each piece is individually glazed and fired again at a high temperature to ensure that all pieces are food safe.

Ana Cavalcanti got her MA in Art Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she focused her studio work on photography and ceramics. Upon graduation, she moved to the DC area, where she joined a potters community where exchange of ideas was abundant. Later opened her home studio. Ana Cavalcanti currently lives in Bethesda, MD, where she sells and teaches workshops.

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Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Creative Craft Council, Strathmore Mansion, Bethesda, MD, 2017
James Renwick Alliance Week, Online, Washington, DC, USA, 2020
American Craft Council, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, 2020
American Craft Council, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD, 2020
Baltimore Craft Week, Online, Baltimore, MD, 2021