Lydia Wareing
Ali is an incredible artist, and being taught by him I’ve created pieces I never thought I was capable of- I thought maybe I’d make a plate, or a vase, but nope! He teaches the art of sculpture instead of the pottery I’d previously tried out. My appreciation of his patient and attentive tutelage and the calm hours in his studio is limitless, and I’m just excited to see what more I can learn!
Petro Keene
My time spent in the Ceramic Sculpture Art Studio is one that I look forward to every week. Ali is a wonderful tutor and the sculptural creations under his guidance are amazing. I have found the experience in his studio to be very enjoyable and am absolutely delighted to have found such a special place to explore creativity.
Dr Lorrimer Esselaar
A few friends and I recently did a beginners' sculpting course with Ali. None of us had touched a piece of clay before and the idea was that it would be strictly for fun. It never occurred to me that my 'sculpture' wouldn't end up in the bin afterwards. Well, was I in for a surprise? Ali turned out to be not only a strikingly talented artist, but one of those rare people who is able to inspire his students to achievements they never dreamt possible with judicious guidance, assistance and instruction. The atmosphere created by Ali in his studio is one not only of serious industry, but also of relaxed conviviality and camaraderie. What lovely people and what a delight. To my great surprise, my copy of the statue of Anubis in Tutankamon's tomb turned into something which now lives on my study bookshelf and not in the bin. Sadly I can't take full credit for it, because without Ali's patient and guiding hand it would never have been anything like it is. He is an excellent teacher, immediately spotting one's mistakes and difficulties and helping one to fix them with an eye for form and three dimensionality that is quite astounding. Whether you're beginner or expert, you'll learn a lot from this lovely guy and find a happy spot in this studio.
Jess Adriaan
I have never been more grateful to have found Ceramic sculptures Art Studio. The experience here is everything any student could ask for. The energy and environment allow for the most amazingly positive learning experience. I would highly recommend attending a class with Ali, he is a phenomenal teacher who really goes above and beyond for his students. My experience has been an absolute pleasure and will probably continue to be for many more years.
William Rawson
Ok. So. This class has been legitimately life changing for me.
I walked into a studio of amazingly talented sculptors and my first thought was “Wow, they are totally out of my league”. What I didn’t realise was the impact that a good teacher can make on your ability to produce and progress. I went from ashtrays to angels in the the space of a few short months.
If you’re more keen on sculpting than pottery, if you’d like to make statues rather than plates; If you enjoy a glass of wine after work with a room full of wonderful people, or a morning coffee with your clay; I couldn’t recommend this class or this teacher more highly. I’m now coming to three classes a week and loving every minute of it.
Kenny Tennant
I need to share my amazing experience attending Ali's Ceramic Sculpting classes.
I’m pleased to have been part of a group of students sharing childish banter and laughing at jokes while spending hours, days, weeks and even months working on our pieces. Not only were we learning about the art of ceramic sculpture under Ali’s amazing Ceramic Master's tutorship but we were also learning about supporting each other in trying times and that making mistakes is ok.
Clay is forgiving but fragile.
Patience is woven into frustration and exciting anticipation of seeing a piece develop from a ball of clay to eventually coming out of the kiln and turning into a masterpiece albeit only to oneself.
The sense of achievement combined with the encouragement from my peers and to Quote Ali "BE BRAVE" as he pushed me to become one with my creative side. These classes became the highlight of my weeks and months attending Ali’s classes. Since November 2020, from a total novice who at the age of 66, having never touched a piece of clay in my life I'm very proud of my achievements under Ali's critical eye and his patience of Job.
Thanks Ali and all my fellow students.