Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Zuzu.
Hi Kara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For over twelve years, I dedicated my career to teaching. Education shaped me — it taught me leadership, adaptability, empathy, and how to build meaningful connections with people from all walks of life. I loved the work and the community it fostered.
When the pandemic hit, like many others, I experienced an unexpected shift. Budget cuts ultimately eliminated my position, and what initially felt destabilizing became a springboard. What could have been only a loss revealed a silver lining: the opportunity to fully commit to the creative path I had been building alongside my teaching career.
For the past five years, I’ve focused on growing my art practice and business full time. During that time, I’ve developed and refined my ceramic work, expanded my professional network, attended artist residencies across the United States, and mounted two solo exhibitions. Each experience has strengthened my voice as an artist and deepened my commitment to this path.
What began as uncertainty has evolved into a period of tremendous growth. I’ve built a sustainable creative practice, learned how to run and evolve a small business, and continued to share my work and perspective with broader communities. My story is one of resilience, reinvention, and dedication to meaningful work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The path hasn’t been without challenges. Financial stability has been one of the biggest hurdles. Building a full-time art practice from the ground up requires constant resourcefulness, and I have relied heavily on scholarships, grants, and funded opportunities to continue developing my work. Rather than seeing that as a limitation, I’ve treated it as motivation — consistently seeking out opportunities to learn, grow, and earn support through merit.
Another challenge has been carving out my place in the ceramics field without a formal academic background in the medium. I came to ceramics through experience rather than a traditional degree pathway, which meant I had to actively seek mentorships, workshops, residencies, and community spaces to build my technical foundation and professional network. Finding my voice and footing in that landscape has taken persistence.
These challenges have shaped me. They’ve made me scrappy, proactive, and deeply committed. I’ve learned how to advocate for myself, how to pursue opportunities with intention, and how to build a career through determination and continuous learning. The obstacles have not deterred me — they’ve refined me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a ceramic sculptor and handbuilder working primarily in stoneware. My work blends storytelling and symbolism with the natural world. I make both sculptural pieces and functional ceramics — including vessels, smokeware, and small animal forms. Animals, especially birds and rabbits, show up a lot in my work as symbols of resilience, transformation, and protection.
I specialize in handbuilding, which allows each piece to feel really personal and intentional. I love that the process is slower — it gives space for gesture and personality to emerge. A lot of my pieces feel like companions or characters. Even the functional work carries that sculptural presence.
I’m most proud of the way I’ve built this career. I was an educator for over twelve years, and when I lost my job during the pandemic, I decided to fully commit to ceramics. I don’t have a formal academic background in the medium, so everything I’ve built has come through mentorships, residencies, workshops, scholarships, and a lot of persistence. In the past five years, I’ve grown a sustainable practice, mounted two solo exhibitions, and developed a strong voice in my work.
What sets me apart is that my work sits between functional and sculptural — it invites use, but it also invites reflection. My background in education shapes how I approach everything: I’m thoughtful about process, about storytelling, and about how objects can create connection. At the end of the day, I want the work to feel grounding, symbolic, and alive.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Yinzer accents
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karazuzu.com
- Instagram: karazuzuart
