Our Team
The Studio is run by Agatha Pupaher and Leanne Berelowitz in partnership with Waverley Council.
Agatha co-founded and currently manages Sydney Clay Studio, a creative space and kiln firing service in St Peters. Agatha is a ceramic artist and educator who is passionate about sharing her love of clay.
Leanne has a BFA in ceramics and glass from Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem and a Master of Cross-disciplinary Art and Design from UNSW Art and Design, Sydney. She has been teaching ceramics for 15 years.
Both Leanne and Agatha are practicing ceramic artists who exhibit their work in group and collaborative exhibitions.
In addition, they have both worked in former careers; Agatha, as a child and family psychologist, and Leanne, as a registered nurse. They value each other’s transferable skills and expertise in working with people of all ages, and draw on them for their art teaching.
Agatha
instagram 1: @agatha.p.art
instagram 2: @agathapupaher
Leanne
www.leanneberelowitz.com
instagram: @leanne.berelowitz
Shinhee Ma
Shinhee is a Korean born, Australian ceramic artist based in Sydney. She has completed a B.A (Hons) degree in ceramics at Sydney College of the Arts (University of Sydney) and also studied Master of Design at College of Fine Arts (UNSW COFA).
She creates works that are sculptural, playful as well as functional for everyday use. Shinhee makes her work from her studio space in Sydney Clay Studio. She worked as a pewter cutlery/giftware designer for five years after graduating university and has been teaching art and craft to children and adults for many years. Shinhee’s work can be found at Chinaclay, Scented Purpose and her Etsy store SMACeramics. She exhibits her work regularly.
Shinhee will be teaching our wheel throwing and handbuilding foundations courses later in 2023 (dates TBC).
www.smaceramics.com
Instagram: @sma_ceramics
Elana Benjamin
Elana Benjamin is an Australian-Jewish writer of Indian-Iraqi heritage. Her work has been published in Good Weekend, Sunday Life, The Sydney Morning Herald, SBS Voices, Essential Kids, ReachOut.com and Plus61J. Elana is also the author of the memoir/history 'My Mother's Spice Cupboard: A Journey from Baghdad to Bombay to Bondi' (Hybrid Publishers, 2012). She facilitated the Jewish Arts Writers’ Group and has taught article-writing workshops. Elana has a special interest in sharing stories to promote tolerance and understanding, and to help people feel seen and more connected to each other. She is currently working on a series of creative non-fiction essays. Elana holds an Arts/Law degree (History major) from the University of New South Wales. She will be running our specialised Word Clay Workshop with Leanne Berelowitz.
Website: www.elanabenjamin.com
Social: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-benjamin-5a632964/
Alexis Wildman
Alexis is an Australian/American emerging ceramic artist, a small business owner and a teacher. Having graduated from UNSW Art and Design, specialising in ceramics and sculpture, Alexis has found the enlightening qualities within glazing techniques. Both visually and functionally allowing her audience to be captivated in realms of sensation in texture and purpose of colour. Strong but simple functional forms engage the unique glazes to shine through as the focus of her relationship with clay.
"My journey with ceramics started back in 2016, but I didn't start teaching until 2020. It's an incredible experience. I get to help others experience the joy of creativity and tactical play through clay. I think my favourite part of teaching is the "AHHA moment". When the light bulb flicks on after a student understands a technique. It's a very rewarding process. I try to focus on patience and temporality because that's really what working with clay is all about."
Alexis works at the Art Gallery of NSW as a display technician, and will be teaching our wheel-throwing classes on weekends and afternoons.
Instagram: @sexy.ceramics
Kayla Berelowitz
Kayla grew up in Sydney doing pottery at Bondi Pavilion from the age of 5. She worked at Blank Canvas Artscool from 2019-2022 as a studio assistant to Daryl Hossack helping with children’s art classes.
Kayla completed her HSC with major works in visual art and drama. She has a Cert 3 in Screen and Media, a Diploma of Visual Arts from TAFE (2023) and is studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts at NAS in 2024.
Kayla works as a teaching assistant in our kids classes and school holiday programs. In addition, she assists with marketing, content creation and studio maintenance tasks throughout the year.
