Surface, Colour & Design
6-12 JUNE 2027
with Maria Bezuglaya
Explore how colour, pattern and surface can completely change the character of a ceramic piece.
A ceramic surface can be painted, carved, drawn on, printed, glazed, textured or left almost untouched. Each technique changes how form, colour and decoration work together. How much can you control what comes out of the kiln?
Spend five days exploring glazes, slips, oxides, underglazes, texture and different ways of applying colour and decoration, with daily guidance and plenty of time to test, combine and develop techniques of your own.
Eight people. One ceramicist. One week. All levels welcome. Secure your place with a €300 deposit.
With only eight places per retreat, booking early is recommended. We know all too well that plans can change. You can move your booking to another date when arranged well in advance.
Accommodation booked separately.
€1,350
Book before 31 December 2026 for the launch price of €1,080.
This ceramics course is for you.
IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD, WORK WITH YOUR HANDS AND SPEND FIVE DAYS ABSORBED IN MAKING AWAY FROM HOME.
01.
IF YOU WANT TO MEET OTHER CREATIVE MINDS, SHARE IDEAS, AND CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS OVER DINNER OR A LONG WALK IN NATURE.
02.
IF YOU WANT TIME TO DISCOVER THE WILD BEACHES, BUZZING TOWNS AND MEET THE MAKERS OF THE WESTERN ALGARVE.
03.
Why does a glaze come out brilliant blue one firing and almost red in another?
A small change in clay body, glaze recipe, application or firing can produce a completely different result. That unpredictability is part of what makes ceramic materials so fascinating.
Mix, test, compare and fire. Learn what changed, understand why, then change something else. Little by little, by alchemy and experimentation you develop a material style of your own.
Plate by Chiara Caselli. Photo by Carlo Piro.
Maria Bezuglaya’s student’s work
The alchemy of glaze, colour and fire teaches us what happens when ingredients melt together. Creating colours, textures and sometimes results nobody quite expected.
Included
Six-day get-away. Sunday evening - Saturday morning.
Five-days wheel throwing course led by a practising ceramicist
Small group of up to eight participants
Clay, glazes, tools, studio use and firing
Shipping of your finished work up to €50
Breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the retreat, including two dinners out
Time for activities away from the studio
Making your own olla and planting for the landscape
Two additional activities, such as yoga, breathwork or a visit to a local maker or craftsperson
Not included
Accommodation
Travel to and from the studio
Alcoholic drinks
Optional activities booked separately
Shipping costs above the included €50 allowance
For more information on what’s included and excluded, accommodation, travel, arrival and departure, the weekly schedule, changing dates and our cancellation policy, and more see Plan Your Week & FAQs
Time beyond the studio
THE SOUTHWEST OF PORTUGAL HAS BEEN MAKING WITH CLAY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. IT IS ALSO HOME TO FARMERS, CREATIVE MAKERS, SURF CULTURE, AND REGENERATIVE PROJECTS FINDING NEW WAYS TO WORK WITH THE LAND AND PRESERVE HERITAGE CRAFTS.
Hands on / Hands off
During the week, we step outside the studio and off the land to discover more of the area. We will eat out at local places serving seasonal food, visit local makers and craftspeople, and spend time in the Bravura landscape.
You’ll also have the possibility to explore the wild Atlantic coast between the west Algarve and Alentejo.
Two additional activities are part of every retreat, think of yoga and a visit with a local maker, grower or craftsperson.
"Basta esta luz para se ser feliz."
This light alone is enough to be happy.
Raul Brandão, Os Pescadores (1923)
If you’re looking to do more
If you want to explore further, we can advise where to go for surf classes, mountain biking, a visit to the springs of Monchique, or other activities around the region.
Maria Bezuglaya
Wheel Throwing | Hand Building | Clay & Glazes | Firing
Maria Bezuglaya is a multidisciplinary artist working primarily with ceramics, alongside glass, installation, video and photography. Originally from Moscow she is based in Portugal since 2019. She holds a BA in Journalism from Moscow State University and a Master’s degree in Art and Science in Ceramics and Glass from VICARTE, Lisbon. Her practice combines material experimentation with an interest in memory, place, the body and the relationship between people and their environments.
Her work often develops through site-specific and participatory approaches, moving between intimate sculptural objects and larger installations. Alongside her individual practice, Maria has over a decade of experience working with ceramics and teaching. She currently works from her studio in Palmela, Portugal, where she develops her artistic projects, commissions, workshops and community-based events.
Maria has been working with ceramics for over 12 years. Beginning her practice independently in Moscow in 2014 and later developing it through professional training, including an intensive wheel-throwing programme at La Meridiana International School of Ceramics in Italy. In 2022, she completed a Master’s degree in Ceramics and Glass – Art and Science at VICARTE, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.
Over the years, she has worked extensively with wheel throwing, handbuilding, glazing, kiln firing and material experimentation, as well as alternative firing techniques. She has also founded and managed ceramic studios in Moscow and now runs her own studio in Palmela, Portugal.
Maria has more than 10 years of experience teaching ceramics, working with both complete beginners and more experienced students. From 2016 to 2019, she ran and taught at Terracotta Ceramics and Pottery Squat in Moscow, and has continued teaching since moving to Portugal.
“I particularly enjoy helping students develop independence and their own visual and material language rather than simply reproducing a specific object or technique.”
Student’s work
Student’s work
Maria’s primary practice is ceramics, particularly wheel throwing and handbuilding. She works across functional ceramics, sculptural objects, installation and collectible design. She is especially interested in the point where craftsmanship, material experimentation and contemporary art meet.
Her current practice includes sculptural ceramics, teapots and functional objects, site-specific work and ceramic lighting. She also works with glass, video, photography and installation, often combining different media within the same project.
“I am especially interested in the point where craftsmanship, material experimentation and contemporary art meet.”
Clear head. Calm nervous system.
Fired-up creativity.
Leave with stronger skills, work you’re proud of, new friends, and that strange combination of being tired yet feeling rested and reset, wondering how six days somehow feel so much longer.
All that, and an unstoppable urge to keep making.