Steven Branfman
Steven Branfman is an American ceramic artist, educator, and author whose career spans five decades and whose work has earned widespread international recognition.
Steven Branfman is an American ceramic artist, educator, and author whose career spans five decades and whose work has earned widespread international recognition.
Education and Early Career
Born in Los Angeles in 1953 and raised in New York City, Branfman’s early exposure to culture and the arts helped shape his future path as a potter and teacher. He pursued formal education in the field, earning a Bachelor of Arts in ceramics, sculpture, and art history from the State University of New York at Cortland in 1974, followed by a Master of Arts in Teaching in ceramics and education from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1975, where he studied under notable instructors including Norm Schulman and Jun Kaneko. His time at RISD was later described by Branfman as profoundly influential in his development as an artist.
The Potters Shop and School
In 1977 Branfman established The Potters Shop & School in Needham, Massachusetts. From its beginnings as his studio, it grew into a respected institution combining a working studio, pottery school, gallery, bookstore, and community arts space. The Potters Shop became known nationally and internationally both for the quality of its ceramics and for its role in clay education and community building.
Teaching and Educational Work
Branfman’s influence extends beyond his studio. He has taught in multiple public school systems and at the college level. Since 1978 he has been a longstanding pottery instructor at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts. His commitment to teaching ceramics is widely acknowledged within the ceramics community.
Professional Leadership and Affiliations
Active in professional organizations, Branfman is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and has served in leadership roles in key ceramic arts bodies. He is a founding board member of the National K-12 Ceramics Exhibition Foundation, Trustee Emeritus of the National K-12 Ceramics Exhibition Foundation and founding board member of The Potters Council of the American Ceramics Society, of which he was Chair, and is the former vice president of the Studio Potter Foundation.
Exhibitions and Collections
Branfman’s work has been extensively exhibited, with his raku ware represented in public and private collections globally. Institutions that hold his work include the American Museum of Ceramic Art in California, the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum in New York, the Mungyeong Ceramic Museum in South Korea, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, the Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts, the Everson Museum of Art in New York, and others.
Publications and Workshops
In addition to his studio practice and teaching, Branfman has made significant contributions as an author. He has written four books on ceramics: Raku: A Practical Approach, published in first and second editions; The Potters Professional Handbook; and Mastering Raku: Making Ware-Glazes-Building Kilns-Firing, which serves as both a technical guide and philosophical reflection on the raku technique. He has also published numerous articles in international ceramics magazines and journals and is a popular workshop presenter throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, sharing his expertise in forming, glazing, and firing techniques.
Conclusion: Across his multifaceted career, Branfman has influenced countless students and practitioners in the field of ceramics, contributing not only through his craft but as an educator and leader in the ceramic arts community.