Today we’d like to introduce you to Florence Guiraud.
Hi Florence, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
With a background in art and architecture, I’ve always been drawn to creating with my hands. Much of my early career centered around thinking through complex three-dimensional problems using physical models and materials as tools for expression and communication.
My first introduction to ceramics happened while growing up in South Korea in the 1990s, where my family lived because of my father’s work. Beyond the typical school art classes, I was deeply inspired by the presence of ceramics in everyday Korean culture — from rustic Onggi vessels used to ferment kimchi to the refined celadons found in museums and homes. Even at a young age, I understood ceramics not just as an art form, but as something deeply connected to culture, daily life, and community.
Years later, while working in architecture and design, I began to feel increasingly disconnected from the tactile side of making. As the profession became more digitally driven, I found myself missing the physicality and slowness of working directly with materials. Ceramics re-entered my life as a way to reconnect with that process.
I initially gravitated toward handbuilding because it shared similarities with architectural model making — building form through layering, shaping, and transformation. Eventually I discovered wheel throwing, which introduced an entirely different creative rhythm centered around timing, control, and responsiveness to the material itself. That balance of technical discipline and unpredictability is what truly deepened my connection to clay.
What ultimately kept me in ceramics, though, was the community. Austin’s clay community is incredibly generous, collaborative, and welcoming. Pottery has historically always been a communal practice, rooted in shared knowledge and collective labor, and that spirit remains very present today. In a rapidly growing and increasingly digital city like Austin, ceramics offers many people a rare opportunity to slow down, work with their hands, and build meaningful connections.
After a challenging period in the design industry that included multiple layoffs, I reached a turning point. I decided to take the skills I had developed in design and project management and apply them toward building something more community-centered and tangible.
That decision led to the creation of Ceramigos, a community pottery studio and gallery in South Austin. Our mission is not only to teach ceramics, but also to support emerging artists, foster creative exchange, and help grow appreciation for handmade craft within the local community.
Since opening, one of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been watching students and artists gain confidence in their creative voices while forming genuine relationships with one another. Ceramigos was built around the idea that art spaces can strengthen community, and it has been incredibly meaningful to see that vision come to life.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Going from an established career in architecture to becoming a small business owner in an unrelated field was indeed a leap. The decision to jump on this adventure was not taken lightly but I was fortunate to have had the support of my loved ones, my community and friends who understood and supported the vision.
As a small business owner you end up wearing many hats, some that you are familiar with, some you have to learn the hard way, while recognizing that others might wear them better. That last one is probably the most challenging part since you are invested at 150% and you want to control every aspect of your business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ceramigos is an artist-run community pottery studio and gallery in South Austin, Texas. We provide a welcoming space where people of all skill levels can learn, create, exchange knowledge, and build meaningful connections through the art of ceramics.
Our mission is to grow a vibrant and sustainable clay community by making ceramics accessible, fostering creativity, and supporting the artists who enrich our cultural landscape. Through classes, workshops, memberships, exhibitions, and our artist residency program, we strive to create opportunities for both emerging and established makers to thrive.
What sets Ceramigos apart is our commitment not only to teaching ceramics, but also to investing in the people who make our creative community possible. Our Artist Residency Program provides working artists with dedicated studio space, storage, 24/7 access, teaching opportunities, and hands-on experience in studio operations. In return, resident artists bring fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and invaluable expertise to our students and members, helping cultivate a richer and more dynamic learning environment.
We believe that artists play an essential role in the health and identity of a community. They preserve craft traditions, inspire creativity, encourage connection, and contribute to the cultural fabric that makes a place unique. Yet the work of artists is often undervalued in a world increasingly dominated by mass production.
By choosing to support local artisans, whether through taking a class, attending an event, or purchasing a handmade piece, you are investing in more than an object. You are helping sustain creative careers, preserve traditional skills, strengthen the local economy, and foster a community where craftsmanship, individuality, and human connection can continue to flourish. Every handmade piece tells a story—not only of the artist who made it, but of the community that chose to support and celebrate their work.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
My childhood was impacted by the expatriation of my father, exposing me to a variety of cultures at seminal stages of life: early childhood in France and Belgium, adolescence in Morocco and South Korea, and early adulthood in New York city.
I have always been attracted by the arts and was a very manual child, always starting a ne craft project, dreaming a building houses through legos or model making. I also loved exploring nature with my grandfathers, foraging berries and mushrooms in the forest in with one of them, and helping the other in his vegetable garden.
My exposure to the artistry that was particular to each of the countries I lived in made me understand the importance of the arts in a country’s cultural landscape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ceramigos-austin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceramigos_austin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeramigosAustin
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ceramigos.atx
