Elsa Figueiredo

Sobre a Artista

Elsa Figueiredo (Lisbon, 1966) is a ceramic artist and educator, with a consolidated practice in both research and teaching. She completed the Basic Studies in Ceramics at Ar.Co (1989–1992), where she later began working in her own studio. She continued her training in drawing at S.N.B.A. and in tile painting at E.S.B.A.L., and also undertook a porcelain internship. Throughout her career, she has explored alternative firing techniques — including raku, soengas, paper kilns, sawdust and wood firings — participating in workshops, symposia, and conferences.

Her practice focuses on the exploration of materials and processes, incorporating elements such as glass, minerals, and paperclay, while establishing connections with earth architecture. Her work reflects an experimental approach, where technical knowledge coexists with openness to chance, revealing the inherent qualities of materials and their relationship with natural elements.

Alongside her artistic work, she maintains an ongoing pedagogical activity. She completed the Plastic Expression Monitors Course at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (2005) and later a degree in Sociocultural Animation (2013). Since 2005, she has been teaching at Ar.Co, where she leads courses in ceramics, firing processes, and traditional and contemporary tile-making, also supervising projects in her studio. She regularly participates in exhibitions and biennials, and her work is represented in both public and private collections, while also developing projects in educational and institutional contexts.