Sicilian Ceramics with Alessandro Strano

This course is for experienced wheel throwers who want to dive into Sicilian ceramic tradition and explore classic forms and techniques with a true Sicilian master.

During the first week, your teacher Alessandro will introduce you to the fundamentals of traditional Sicilian pottery. You’ll start with warm-up exercises like throwing from the hump and making a decorative pigna (pine cone). From there, you'll move on to small-scale traditional shapes such as the quartara, brocca, giara, and bummulu: all variations of vessels used for storing and pouring water or wine.

In the second week, you’ll take things up a notch by creating a small collection of large-scale doughnut-shaped flasks and multi-arm candelabras: two iconic forms in Sicilian ceramics. You’ll learn to sketch out your designs, throw all the essential components (bases, bodies, spouts, handles, candle holders), and assemble them into complete, finished pieces.

By the end of the course you will:

• Know a whole lot about the traditional Sicilian pottery
• Be able to throw a wide range of classic Sicilian forms, from simple decorative pigne to complex, multi-piece candelabras
• Feel confident working in series, creating repetable forms from the same clay mass
• Know how to design and throw large, intricate shapes by assembling multiple thrown parts

Your Teacher

Alessandro Strano, is a Sicilian master wheel thrower and founder of Studio MUD, a first-of-its-kind intercultural ceramics hub in Palermo.

​Alessandro has over 30 years of experience as a ceramicist specialised in wheel throwing, and has perfected his skills over the decades by working at different studios and collaborating with local and international artists before founding a studio of his own in 2018.

Alessandro’s own ceramics pieces have a unique style that merges traditional Sicilian aesthetics and modern minimalism and elevates wheel throwing’s aesthetics.

He is one of Salemi Ceramics' first Sicilian friends, and has a special place in the Salemi Ceramics family. We're excited to have him teach at our studio, and we're sure you'll love his course!!!

Discover the territory/ Discover Sicily

During this week, you won’t just get a ceramics course. We’ve also organised a program of activity so that you can connect with Sicilian culture, get to know beautiful Salemi and its rich history and territory.

You will:

• Eat breakfast like the locals do in our favourite local bars
• Enjoy meals in a variety of authentic, local Sicilian restaurants / home-restaurants
• Seasonal cultural excursions

Arrival and Departure

We ask that you plan your arrival for Sunday. We have an included pick-up from either Palermo Centre (in front of Hotel Politeama) at 11:30 or Palermo Airport at 12:30. On Sunday afternoon (circa 16:30, subject to change), you will be welcomed to Salemi by one of our team members, who will take you on an orientation walk of the historical centre. This will be followed by a welcome apericena (light dinner) with a Salemi Spritz at one of our favourite local restaurants.

We will bid you farewell at the end of your time in Salemi with an included transfer to either Palermo Airport or Palermo Centre (Piazza Politeama), departing Salemi at 07:00 on Saturday morning.

**For pick-ups and drop-offs outside of these times and locations, please contact us for a transfer quote.