ADRIAN ARLEO
GILDING THE LILY: Building and Embellishing Human and Animal Sculpture
February 22 - March 7, 2026
With an immediate initiation into the unforgettably stimulating landscape, architecture and culture of Bali, Adrian Arleo will commence this two-week intensive coil-building figurative workshop as a personalized experience for the participants. Individuals will be expected to come with some general ideas or aspirations in the realm of animal or human sculptural forms– but be equally ready to be spontaneously informed by setting and surroundings. Seated, standing, reclined, wall pieces– all are possible. By having an array of sculptural forms being created simultaneously in this workshop, participants will have the benefit of learning from other people's challenges and solutions.
Live demonstrations will be bolstered by slide talks and time-lapse videos of various processes employed by Adrian including approaches to internal supports, buttressing, darting, sectioning, and the use of a base and rod for tall narrow pieces. Other presentations will cover facial features, general anatomy for human and animal forms, and collections of contemporary figurative ceramic sculptors’ work for added inspiration and insight. Tapping into pattern, texture, carving and sprig molds, the embellishment component of the workshop will contribute richness and depth to the sculptural forms, adding a decorative, narrative or metaphorical dimension that will take the pieces into another realm of development. And at the end of the course, Adrian will demonstrate the use of wax encaustic, casein paint and gold leaf for added post-firing layers and accents.
To arrive with an open mind, and leave with pieces you never would have imagined in your normal studio practice is what this workshop is all about.
TUITION: USD $2500 inclusive of all studio materials, glazes and firings, catered lunches, welcome dinner, and excursions around the island. We will assist in making recommendations for bookings for nearby hotels, bungalows or home-stays in convenient proximity to Gaya studio (accommodation is not included in tuition).