ABOUT THE WORKSHOP RETREAT
Join us July 16-19 for a creative intensive in ceramic surface design with Keok Lim. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore creative approaches to altering form and developing dynamic surface treatments. Working from either a personal project or a place of open curiosity, students will investigate how structure and surface can work together to strengthen and clarify an artistic vision.
Through guided morning demonstrations, participants will learn a range of techniques for building and transforming form using handbuilding methods such as pinch and slab construction. Emphasis will be placed on intentional alteration—reshaping, combining, and refining forms to create more expressive and engaging objects.
Afternoons will be dedicated to hands-on studio practice, where participants apply these techniques to their own work. Bisque ware will be provided to support focused exploration of surface design. Demonstrations will include working with slips, monoprinting, drawing with underglaze pens, and sgraffito, offering a range of approaches for layering imagery and developing rich, tactile surfaces.
This workshop encourages experimentation, play, and risk-taking. By the end of the session, participants will have expanded their technical vocabulary, loosened their approach to making, and created ceramic work that reflects a more confident and expressive integration of form and surface.
ABOUT Keok LIm
Keok Lim is a ceramic artist based in Atlanta. Born in Singapore, she practiced dentistry for twenty years before relocating with her family in 2001 and turning her focus more fully toward the arts.
She has worked in pottery and sculpture for over fifteen years at Spruill Center for the Arts, developing a vibrant studio practice that has been exhibited internationally, including in Paris, Singapore, and across the United States. Her work has been featured in publications such as Pottery Making Illustrated and Studio Potter, and she has received numerous honors, including Best Illustration and Best in Show. She is currently represented by galleries and teaches ceramics at The Art Center at Johns Creek.
Driven by curiosity, Lim continually pushes the limits of clay, exploring inventive approaches to form and surface. Her teaching practice—particularly her work with individuals with special needs—has shaped her philosophy in the studio, encouraging a spirit of openness, humor, and a “just do it” approach to making.
Her work is grounded in personal narrative, drawing from memory and lived experience. Through intuitive and spontaneous mark-making, she creates loose, whimsical, and colorful surfaces that capture a sense of joy, energy, and playfulness.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Some experience with handbuilding is required.
Basic handbuilding tools and a 25lb bag of clay will be provided. Participants should bring their favorite tools.
Fees: $675 (covers workshop fees, materials, and meal plan) + $450-$600 for overnight accommodations in our Antinori Village. Follow this link for info on our accommodation options: hambidge.org/room-board
Check-in: is 1-5pm on the first day of your workshop. If this is an impossibility, please confirm any deviation in advance with staff at workshops@hambidge.org. A mandatory group orientation is held at 5pm on the date of your arrival. Departures are by 2pm on the final day of your workshop.