Meet the members of our team, who are here to help you realize your creative vision.
Our Team
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Studio Director & Instructor (he/him)
The therapeutic effect of the magical bond between clay and potter never ceases to fascinate Mario Ruy. Born in Mexico City, Mario became a ceramist by attending the Taller Experimental de Ceramica de Coyoacan to study with master ceramist Alberto Diaz de Cossio. He learned on a wheel that uses leg strength, just as early pottery turners did.
Based in Montreal since 2018, Mario has become a full-time ceramist. Director of Atelier Cône10, he creates his own works and shares his passion by giving courses for all levels. Mario continues his research into glazes, not only for his own works, but also to help the artistic community diversify the variety of possible colors and textures.
His works are generally made with clay and high-temperature glazes (cone 10) to create unique effects that only temperatures above 1285 ˚C can produce. Previously a professional dancer, Mario has transferred his artistic skills and teaching methods to pottery: now he dances with his hands!
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Administratrice (she/her)
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Instructor & Technician (she/her)
Originally from Ithaca New York, Sophia started her pottery journey at Atelier Cone 10 as a student. Her interest in pottery surrounds the endless opportunities for play. Fascinated by clay as a medium infinitely recyclable, she hopes to encourage her students to soften towards themselves with levity in trial and error. In her own work, she brings together functional rounded forms, adding a sense of whimsy into the items that make up an essential part of our daily rituals.
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Technician (she / her)
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Instructor & Technician (she/her)
Mikayla started teaching shortly after moving to Montreal from Vancouver early this year. She studied art at Emily Carr University, eventually settling on ceramics as a medium. With a practice rooted in research and experimentation, she mixes wheel throwing and hand building to create functional and sculptural work. Mikayla takes inspiration from forms in nature and the possibility for ceramic works to carry place, grief, and change. Through teaching, she hopes to inspire those who are curious to start forming their connection with clay.
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Instructor & collaborator (she/they)
Sarah is a multidisciplinary artist who fell in love with the embodied practices of ceramics. Her work focuses on emotional and physical communication, meditating on the embodied experiences of completed forms during the processes of creation. Trained as a production potter, Sarah has worked with artists and studios in Montréal, Calgary and Vancouver, to refine their artistic vision and help achieve the creation of large bodies of work. Enmeshed with their artistic practice are studies in the field of Counselling Psychology, investigating and creating space to support facilitators of culturally appropriate arts-based mental health interventions.