In conversation with Heather Kuzyk  

Rock Star Lecture Series 

Sara Howard’s book, Circular Ceramics (2023), delves into the sustainable practices and innovative approaches within contemporary ceramics. Drawing from her extensive experience, Howard explores the concept of circularity in design, emphasizing the reuse of materials, closed-loop production systems, and reducing waste in ceramic processes. Her talk highlights how traditional techniques can intersect with modern sustainability goals, inspiring artists and designers to rethink their impact on the environment while creating timeless, functional pieces.

Sara Howard is an award-winning London designer, building new systems in pursuit of circularity and regeneration in the ceramic industry and beyond. Sara graduated from Central St. Martins in 2020, studying BA Honours Degree in Ceramic Design. In her final year, Sara designed an industrial symbiosis around the ceramics industry, whereby waste from one industry replaces the virgin raw materials in ceramic production. Sara’s methods and processes are shared in her book, Circular Ceramics, allowing fellow ceramicists to adopt the sustainable processes in their own practice.

Heather Kuzyk is a ceramic artist, illustrator, and arts educator from Burlington, Ontario.  She graduated from the Craft and Design Program at Sheridan College in 2000 with a major in ceramics and was the recipient of the Gardiner Museum Award for Excellence in Ceramic Arts. Heather has spent the last 25 years dedicated to teaching ceramics to both children and adults. She is currently an Education Studio technician and program instructor at the Art Gallery of Burlington. She has a keen interest in creating sustainable practices in the studio learning environment and is currently developing a body of work centered around exploring raw unfired clay as a transient and impermanent medium.

Image Credit: Sara Howard sourcing stone slurry from a natural stone manufacturer in Bali. Photo credit: Anthony Dodds.