
Sandra Torres
“I hope that people are inspired by different ways of working, without prejudice and with curiosity. The artistic journey, like any other is bumpy, it is not always easy, and it involves a great deal of other skills (social, marketing, etc.) to be able to get the work out there.”
“The biggest and ongoing challenge is to keep making, keep mastering and keep exploring your own work.” Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, artist Sandra Torres is an incredible ceramist whose journey has taken her around the globe and given her the opportunity to learn amazing techniques and solidify her artistic expression. Torres specializes in porcelain wares, slip-casting techniques, and decorating processes that result in unique pieces unlike any others. Torres has found great success doing what she loves, and the story of her ceramics journey has had many twists, turns, and challenges along the way. When speaking about her work, Torres said, “I embraced the industrial process of slip casting with all its personality and difficulties within my professional work.”


Looking at her work, Torres has taken her education in architecture and found a way to masterfully interlace it with her love for ceramics producing pieces with a unique structural quality. “I was originally trained as an architect. I took a break to get an MBA and when it was time to go back to creating, I started working with clay, only to discover that creating space at a much smaller scale and under my own directive suits me better. I am always looking at natural and industrial patterns. My background in architecture shows up often when creating new forms.” Her work illustrates an interesting and dynamic balancing act between the structural integrity her pieces have and the delicate aesthetic they evoke. Torres has written for Ceramics Monthly about her process, and in the December issue described it: “The desire for sturdy vessels that look delicate inspired Sandra Torres to make her work using slip-casting techniques. Interest in unglazed surfaces led her to develop a palette using soluble salts to create watercolor-like effects.” In her artist statement, Torres described the inspirations that have led to her current work; “Functionality, ergonomics, repetition, nature and the intrinsic characteristics of the material bring to life my porcelain work. Contrast of varied color shades, their softness and sharp edges along with linear abstract motifs, result in a dramatic chromatic composition in contrast to the white surface of the porcelain. The character of my current work resides in the exploration of small but significant variations of shape, size and patterns.”
Torres has travelled around the world and had incredible experiences that have helped to define who she is as an artist. Having developed her education in ceramics in Southern California, Mexico, and China, Torres was able to become an apprentice at Studio Pieter Stockmans in Genk, Belgium and an Artist in Residence in Kecskemet, Hungary at the International Ceramics Studio – times in her journey that she credits as pivotal moments in her artistic development. When speaking about influential mentors and moments in her artistic journey, Torres said, “Being an apprentice to Pieter Stockmans has been pivotal in my career, sharing the space as a resident in the International Ceramic Studio in Hungary offered me a platform to gain confidence and be exposed to other works on a daily basis, and finally my husband, who is also a ceramic artist and offers constant support and constructive feedback.” Her time in Hungary also led to the creation of a set of porcelain bells used in The Sound of Clay conference, which is one of her favorite contributions to the world of ceramics.

However, the road to success hasn’t been without it’s bumps along the way. Torres recalled the struggle to find acceptance within the United States for the artistic processes she loved that seemed more common-place in Europe; “Slip casting has been used to create art in Europe for a long time. When I returned to the USA from my internship with Pieter Stockmans, slip casting was the ugly duckling of ceramics, with a big bad stigma for being an industrial process. Fortunately, this has changed and more and more people in the USA have been exploring this technique.” Torres has skillfully overcome obstacles and found amazing success doing what she loves.




Torres hopes that her work and her story inspires other artists to understand that the appreciation of different processes and the determination to overcome adversity is just par for the course when it comes to being an artist; “I hope that people are inspired by different ways of working, without prejudice and with curiosity. The artistic journey, like any other is bumpy, it is not always easy, and it involves a great deal of other skills (social, marketing, etc.) to be able to get the work out there.” Torres explained that the question she had for other artists looking to grow was: “How would you reinvent yourself to achieve your goals?” Sandra Torres has proven that among the many tools an artist must have in their wheelhouse, courage of conviction and a belief in your processes are among the most important. She is an amazing artist whose work speaks for itself in terms of inspiration, creative endeavors, and of course, beauty.



Educational/Personal Growth Opportunity
“I hope that people are inspired by different ways of working, without prejudice and with curiosity. The artistic journey, like any other is bumpy, it is not always easy, and it involves a great deal of other skills (social, marketing, etc.) to be able to get the work out there.”
“How would you reinvent yourself to achieve your goals?” Think about your goals and what skills you will need to obtain them; what implications does this have and how will you need to change to reach your goals?