Maya Wasileski is a Philadelphia-based potter and studio tech with roots just outside Harrisburg, PA. She earned her BFA in Studio Arts from West Chester University in 2021 and continued to work with the university as a kiln technician in their ceramics program. Her passion for teaching emerged while running the Community Clay program, where she taught accessible ceramics to the local community. This enthusiasm for teaching led her to conduct clay summer camps and eventually to teach adult classes at The Clay Studio.
Maya specializes in functional ceramics with a focus on highlighting the unique properties of the kilns she fires. She is adept at gas firing and has recently ventured into soda firing.
Her larger works are characterized by their functionality and intricate surface design. Employing techniques like sgraffito and mishima, she uses slips and underglaze to create pieces that are both functional and visually striking. Maya’s background as an oil painter continues to influence her ceramics, resulting in work that merges the worlds of painting and ceramics. Her work often explores dream-like, moody interiors using warped perspective to explore the space between sleep and wake.
