In this interview, ceramic artist Maria Gasparian discusses her journey working with architectural glazed ceramics and how her work brings together art, craft and architectural design.
Drawing inspiration from historic ceramic facades, global travel and material experimentation, Maria explains how clay, glaze and colour can transform buildings through bespoke ceramic elements. The conversation explores the creative process of Maria Gasparian Studios, the challenges of producing glazed ceramics for architecture, and how collaborations with architects and manufacturers can create distinctive and expressive facade designs:
1. Tell me a little about how you became a ceramic artist?
I originally trained as an architect and spent many years working in a large commercial architectural practice in London. Throughout that time, I was fascinated by colour, craft, and materiality, and I constantly looked for ways to incorporate ceramics and glazed brick into architectural projects. I was drawn to their permanence, depth of colour, and tactile qualities.
A turning point came when I enrolled in an evening pottery class. Watching a simple piece of clay transform through glazing and firing into something jewel-like, waterproof, and fireproof felt almost magical. That experience sparked a new direction in my career. I went on to complete a Master’s in Ceramic Design at Central Saint Martins, followed by a PhD focused on architectural ceramics. Throughout this academic journey, I continued making, producing sculptures, tableware, bricks, and tiles, while also undertaking public art commissions and consultancy roles that bridge architecture and ceramics.
2. Where does your love for ceramics and brick glazing come from?
My love for ceramics comes from both personal background and artistic discovery. Growing up in Armenia, a country neighbouring the Middle East, I was surrounded by the rich visual language of decorative art and architecture. Those early impressions stayed with me and shaped my sensitivity to colour and ornament.
Later on, I discovered amazing plasticity of clay while making sculpture and decorative pieces. The tactile, three-dimensional qualities of clay and the transformation from soft into stone-like states, made me committed to the material. Ceramics offered both sculptural freedom and functional purpose.
At the time, travelling to Spain and Portugal profoundly influenced me. There I saw how ceramics could be both decorative and structural, seamlessly integrated into architecture. The integration of art into buildings, where colour, pattern and surface become part of spatial experience, felt like the answer to a question I had long been exploring: how to unite art and architecture.
3. Are there any particular artists or places that you take inspiration from?
My initial fascination with architectural ceramics was sparked by visiting the Alhambra in Granada. The intricate geometric tiles and luminous glazed surfaces embody cultural narratives carried from North Africa into Spain. The ceramics themselves are remarkable both in the joy of their colour, texture and patterns while being so long-lasting, having survived for thousands of years.
In Barcelona, I studied how architects integrated ceramics into modern urban life, particularly through the expressive surfaces and sculptural forms of Catalan modernism. These visits revealed the diversity of ceramic techniques, from mosaics to sculpted glazed ornament.
I also travelled to the United States to study the terracotta façades of early skyscrapers, including the work of Louis Sullivan. His richly ornamented buildings demonstrate how glazed elements can give architecture identity, narrative, and human scale.
4. What are some of your favourite projects/designs and why are they important?
Among the projects I most admire are the terracotta-clad skyscrapers of the late nineteenth century, particularly the Bayard-Condict Building in New York and the Guaranty Building in Buffalo by Louis Sullivan. Their façades are breathtaking, lush with ornament, vegetal motifs, cornices, and capitals that transform structural necessity into artistic expression.
It is little known that a significant proportion of early Manhattan buildings were clad in glazed ceramics or terracotta, largely as fireproof protection for steel structures. Yet beyond performance, these materials created individuality and civic presence.
To me, architectural ceramics add profound value. They give buildings narrative depth, local identity, and expressive richness. These historic examples demonstrate how technological innovation, new materials and manufacturing techniques can enable extraordinary creativity. They continue to inspire my own work in integrating bespoke ceramic elements into contemporary architecture and public space.
5. What are the challenges of the creation of glazed ceramics?
One of the key challenges in glazed ceramics, particularly within architecture, is the gap between design ambition and manufacturing reality. There are very few truly bespoke ceramic products readily available to suit architects seeking project-specific solutions. Large-scale developments can justify the research and development required for new moulds, finishes, and testing, but smaller and medium-sized projects often lack the time and budget to explore these possibilities.
Product development in ceramics is not immediate; it requires material testing, prototyping, kiln trials and close collaboration with manufacturers. Specialist knowledge is crucial. Understanding clay bodies, firing temperatures, shrinkage rates, and glazing behaviour is essential to support architects in making informed design decisions.
6. Can you tell me about the glazing process and the type of finishes this can produce?
Ceramic glazing dates back millennia. Traditionally, glazing was developed to make pottery impermeable to water. A thin, mineral-based coating is applied to the fired clay body and, during a second firing, fuses into a glass-like surface. At high temperatures, the clay itself begins to vitrify, enhancing durability and strength.
Glazes can produce a wide range of finishes. Gloss glazes are highly reflective; on a façade, they shift and transform with changing daylight. Matt glazes absorb light, offering a softer, stone-like quality without glare. Historically, matt finishes were often used to emulate carved stone surfaces.
Colour is one of the most remarkable qualities of glazes as it does not fade in sunlight. Traditional glazes relied on metal oxides: cobalt for blue, copper for green, iron for warm browns and ambers, tin or zinc for white. Contemporary industrial pigments allow for vast chromatic variation, yet traditional glazes possess a depth and unpredictability that remains uniquely expressive.
7. Could you tell us more about the bespoke glazed brick slip project at Fetter Lane in London?
The Fetter Lane project is a strong example of a building that is both site-specific and deeply rooted in local history. Fletcher Priest Architects explored the heritage of the site and developed a narrative of bespoke motifs, linking the bright decorative façade of the new development to the area’s historic printing industry, as well as to the pub that once occupied the site.
I created bespoke glazed brick slips featuring these decorative motifs, which were then structurally integrated into the fabric of the building, becoming an intrinsic part of its architectural expression.
8. When designing these bespoke brick slips, how did you approach creating the handmade motifs?
The motifs were developed through a combination of digital processes and traditional handcraft techniques. The designs were first 3D printed to create precise models, which were then used to produce plaster moulds. These moulds were hand-packed with clay to form relief tiles, ensuring each piece retained a crafted quality.
Once dried, the tiles were fired and finished with a turquoise glaze, carefully selected to complement the overall façade. The glazed elements were positioned at key locations – at lower levels and around window reveals – to introduce moments of visual interest and subtle surprise within the architectural composition.
9. What makes handmade bespoke brick slips such a powerful material choice for architects looking to create a distinctive facade design?
Handmade bespoke ceramics, brick and brick slips carry a unique human presence. The hand of the maker is embedded in each piece, through subtle variations in texture, depth, and finish, they create a tactile richness that cannot be replicated by purely industrial production. This individuality allows architects to craft façades that feel authentic and site-responsive rather than generic.
The uniqueness of bespoke design, combined with the expressive qualities of craft, adds both commercial and cultural value: it strengthens identity, enhances visual memorability, and fosters a deeper emotional connection between buildings and the people who experience them. In an increasingly standardised built environment, this sense of character and material integrity makes handmade materials a particularly powerful design choice.
10. How can artists contribute to modern facade design using bespoke and glazed brick slips?
Artists’ involvement in architectural projects can play an important role in contemporary façade design. Through their artistic vision, they can generate conceptual ideas that are then translated into material form – through ceramics, brick, and glaze. By working closely with architects and manufacturers, artists can introduce narrative, symbolism, texture, and colour in ways that elevate the façade beyond pure function. Bespoke and glazed brick slips become a medium for expression, enabling buildings to communicate identity and meaning while creating unique, engaging environments within the urban landscape.
11. What makes you excited about the year ahead?
This year feels particularly energising. I am currently working on several exciting commissions, varying in scale and complexity, which is allowing me to explore new ideas and approaches across different contexts.
In the coming months, I will be exhibiting in London, contributing to its vibrant design culture, especially during the festival periods, when the city feels at its most dynamic and creatively charged.
Internationally, I recently completed judging for the Brick Award 26 and will be attending the ceremony in Vienna. It was incredibly inspiring to witness such innovative approaches and a diverse range of talent in material design.
In addition, my studio is launching a new range of design-led products, spanning from bespoke building components to collectable decorative pieces for interiors and urban pocket spaces.
