Teachers and tutors

Dalia Sofronie

Romanian ceramic artist, the creative mind behind 137º Ceramic Art Studio project and co owner.

Originally from Romania, where she graduated in Decorative Arts and Advertising Design, she worked as Art Director in several internationally renowned advertising agencies.
This experience served as an impulse for her creative thinking and was a good base from which she was able to create and manage such an ambitious project as 137º Ceramic Art Studio.

She is currently dedicated to the management of the project, to teaching ceramics and sculpture classes and to the development of her own artistic work.

Artist Statement:

I am particularly sensitive on an aesthetic level and I am fascinated by the harmony present in nature, the rhythms, the apparent randomness that always has a very precise meaning. I can’t stop contemplating all these living wonders that surround us and, whenever I have the chance, I try to capture it in a ceramic piece.
Since becoming a mother, I am also fascinated by the simplicity of what true joy and purity of being means. I try to pay tribute to it with my work, whenever I can, using forms that evoke the magical innocence of childhood.

Evan Powell

U.S. industrial designer and ceramist, teacher and studio technician at 137º Ceramic Art Studio.

Originally from Denver, graduated in industrial design by the Metro State University and with many years of experience in the field of design and ceramics, now studio technician and teacher at 137º Ceramic Art Studio. Product designer that looks at design through a traveller’s eye, trying to capture the charm and life of different places, cultures, and the beauty of the natural world.

Artist Statement:

Years of being a ceramicist has given me a passion for form and surface.
The exploration of material, form, and surface drives and excites me. I aim to bridge the gap between heritage craft and advanced technology, to design timeless pieces that focus on sustainability and users experience.

Manuel Estevez

Spanish ceramic artist, teacher at 137º Ceramic Art Studio and co owner.

Manuel has been involved in the world of ceramics since 1996. He developed his practice in Ireland, where he lived for more than a decade. He collaborated with different artists such as: Brian Macgee, Rob d’Eath, Sinéad Fagan, etc. I also trained my skills with the nuns at Kylemore Abbey, Stephen Pearce Pottery and other small workshops.

Since 2015, together with Dalia, he started to work at the creation of the 137º Ceramic Art Studio project which ows and manage.

Artist Statement:

My ceramic work is intended for everyday use. It is inspired in part by the work of artists such as Bernard Leach or Richard Phethean, as well as traditional Spanish-Arabic pottery. I love working with terracotta for its warmth and adding engobes of different colors that give my creations a lot of joy.