Event Description: Artist Amber Aguirre returns to the Mill in Spring 2026! In addition to teaching the two-day workshop, Figurative Ceramics: Busted!, Amber will be giving an Artist Talk on Thursday, February 19.
Event Details: This event is free and open to the public. If able, please bring a dish to share and/or something to drink.
About the Artist: In kindergarten, Amber Aguirre created her first ceramic piece — a blue ashtray imprinted with her palm. From the moment she saw that a malleable piece of clay could be transformed into a rock-hard, waterproof object, she was captivated. To her, it was pure magic. A few years later, in second grade, after winning the school poster contest, Aguirre knew she was destined to become an artist.
Many years later, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California, followed by a Master’s degree in Art Education from San Francisco State University. During that time, she also received her California teaching credential and went on to teach ceramics in the public-school system.
In 2001, Aguirre moved to Hawai‘i and left teaching behind to focus fully on her art, pursuing the professional career she had envisioned since childhood. Aguirre’s work is deeply shaped by her upbringing and life experiences. As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor — her mother endured Auschwitz and the Death March — Aguirre grew up with an acute awareness of social injustice and discrimination, themes that continue to influence her work.
She is also disabled. In 1994, while participating in a "survival skills" course in Utah, she broke her leg in an inaccessible canyon and waited 14 hours for a helicopter rescue. Despite many surgeries over the following years, her leg was ultimately amputated in 2019. The pain, surgeries, and emotional journey through disability have profoundly informed her art, deepening her exploration of the human condition. Although her sculptures often address serious topics such as war, racism, and social inequality, Aguirre frequently employs humor and whimsy as an entry point. By finding lightness even in dark situations, she draws viewers into her work and invites them to engage more deeply with its underlying meaning.
More than 50 years after making that first ashtray, Amber Aguirre is now represented by top galleries in the field of ceramics, with her work exhibited and collected internationally.
About Our Programs: As a place of convergence, the Mill serves as both a community and a physical place–celebrating the power of the arts, bringing people, ideas and perspectives together. We are proud to offer adult and youth programs that focus on awareness of one’s individuality in the contexts of family, community and the natural world. Our exhibitions provide a space to reflect, share perspectives and grow as a community. Our classes & workshops are designed to inspire creativity, foster connections, and provide enriching experiences for all participants. We invite you to join us in the studio.
