Maiolica Glaze and Painting with Michelle Im

We are so thrilled to be welcoming artist Michelle Im to the studio this week! Recently awarded the prestigious 2026 Kohler Arts Center residency. 

Michelle Im is a Korean-American ceramic artist based in Queens, NY, whose work deeply interrogates themes of home, identity, and cultural duality. Her sculptural practice often uses vessel forms as metaphors for the human body, drawing on traditional Korean ceramics and her own diasporic experience.

In her 2025 solo exhibition Hello, Goodbye, Im created a series of terracotta figures modeled after Korean Air flight attendants—elegant, poised embodiments of service work, emotional labor, and solidarity. With a background in both biological sciences and art (BA, SUNY Buffalo), she brings a thoughtful, layered approach to her craft.

Maiolica remains an essential technique in the ceramics world as it beautifully blends history, craftsmanship, and creativity. Painting directly onto a white glaze allows artists to explore expressive brushwork, rich color stories, and intricate patterns — all elements that have kept maiolica relevant from traditional tilework to modern studio ceramics. Learning this technique gives us a deeper understanding of ceramic surface design while connecting to a long lineage of artists who used maiolica to transform everyday objects into art. 

If you’re looking to expand your skills in decorative ceramics, improve your glaze painting techniques, or join a hands-on ceramics workshop that truly elevates your craft, a majolica class is one of the most rewarding ways to grow as a ceramic artist.