Fernanda Cortes

Profile

Since November 2024, I have worked as Casting and Ceramics Technician in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures at the University of Leeds. My focus has been on building a welcoming, well-organised and safe workshop where students feel confident to explore materials, take creative risks and develop their skills over time.
My work brings together technical teaching, workshop management and direct student support. I deliver group sessions and one-to-one guidance across different levels, supporting students as they develop their understanding of processes including hand-building, mould making and glazing. I place importance on clear demonstration, hands-on learning and creating an environment where students can ask questions, make mistakes and build genuine confidence.
I am also active in technician-led teaching initiatives, including work developed through the Pedagogic Research in the Arts (PRiA) programme. This work has strengthened my understanding of how technical teaching contributes to broader learning outcomes, and has deepened my commitment to building meaningful collaboration and dialogue between technical and academic practice. My approach is shaped by clarity, care and an attentiveness to the different backgrounds and experiences students bring into the workshop.
I work closely with the technical team to ensure the workshop continues to develop as a space that is responsive, safe and creatively inspiring, a place where both technical understanding and artistic exploration can thrive.

Responsibilities

• Casting and Ceramics Technician

Research interests

I am a practising sculptor with a BA in Industrial Design from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (2014) and an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art (2016). My practice centres on clay, with a focus on anthropomorphic sculpture, hand-built stoneware figures finished with glazes developed through my own material research.
Storytelling is central to my work. Each sculpture is accompanied by a short text exploring themes of transformation, otherness, light and darkness, creating a connection between the physical object and a wider imagined world.
As an active member of the ceramics community, I deliver masterclasses and workshops at studios and ceramic centres across the UK and internationally.
In June 2026 I will begin a three-month residency at the Fondation Bruckner in Carouge, Switzerland, a competitive, internationally open residency awarded annually to ceramicists with an autonomous and developed practice.
For more information about my work, please visit fernandacortes.com.

Qualifications

• 2016 - Master of Arts in Ceramics and Glass: Royal College of Art, London (UK) Dissertation: Clay &
• 2014 - Bachelor of Industrial Design: National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Arc
• 2013 - Student Exchange: Université de Moncton Faculté de Arts Visuels, Moncton (Canada)
• 2012 - Student Exchange: École National Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI), Paris (France)