Avi Farber

Avi Farber’s work emerges with fire—both in the flame as it flows over clay in the wood kiln and in the spirit of a wildfire as its memory is recorded on his land-based art panels. Years of watching fires move through mountains while working as a wildland firefighter have shaped his approach to ceramics, where landscapes, clay, and fire become active collaborators. This is a ceramic practice that takes place in and with the landscape.

Farber received his Master of Interdisciplinary Design (MDes) from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and a BA in Philosophy from Bates College. His love for mud began in his mom’s studio, where, as a child, he would press clay against his face, using his own head as a slump mold to make colorful masks. He now holds clay as a storyteller—a vessel that carries collective meanings, records reflections, and offers a space to reimagine our own beliefs. His work is represented by form & concept and G2 Gallery and has been supported by residencies at the University of California Santa Barbara, the Clay Studio of Missoula, and the Material Matters Lab.