Firebox Instructor
Amy Wilson
she/her · Boston, Massachusetts
Amy Saikia Wilson is a visual artist and practicing ceramicist based in Boston, Massachusetts, with over ten years of experience working in ceramics. She holds an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wilson works across ceramics, sculpture, fiber arts, and mixed media, specializing in handbuilt sculptural and figurative forms with an emphasis on surface treatment and conceptual development.
About The Artist
Practice & Perspective
Amy Saikia Wilson, based in Boston, Massachusetts, is a visual artist whose work primarily takes the form of sculpture and installation. Rooted in studies of Jungian psychology, the monomyth, and Gnosticism, her practice is an act of sharing inconclusive narratives with recurring themes of girlhood, the cycles of suffering, divine knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, and the rewilding of the human being. The materials Wilson employs are vast and varied and include ceramics, papier-mâché, fiber arts, digital and photographic imagery, and found and natural materials. Many of her works can exist only through the assemblage and installation of their components, offering a constructed situation that externalizes inner psychological landscapes and often involves a female protagonist.
Wilson has exhibited widely and internationally, including exhibitions at Queens Museum, Cranbrook Art Museum, Grace Exhibition Space, The Zhou B Art Center, Ivy Brown Gallery, Deiner Gallery, Anima Mundi Gallery in Cornwall, United Kingdom, Loovlinnak in Pärnu, Estonia, and AZAN Contemporary Art in Lisbon, Portugal, among others. She was selected for the 2026 Artist-in-Residence program at Anderson Center at Tower View and the 2027 residency program at Sculpture Space. In July 2026, she presented her solo exhibition The Adventure of Finding It and Then Losing It at Studio PRÁM in Prague, Czech Republic. Wilson currently teaches at JP Clay, a ceramics studio in Jamaica Plain, Boston, and has also served as a Visiting Artist at Montserrat College of Art, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Northern Essex College. She holds a BFA in Studio Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Selected Work
From The Studio
In The Classroom
Teaching Approach
I treasure art for its universality—how it can reach anyone at any age in any circumstance. It helps us to live happier, fuller lives and to extract more from our experience, whatever that experience may be. The lessons we gain through art can be applied to every aspect of life and learning. Thus, I take very seriously the privilege of teaching art. I am intent on both the motivation of the student’s artwork and their ambitions, and I find satisfaction in helping my students develop skills they’ll be able to employ in myriad ways throughout their practices.
My philosophy of teaching is anchored by a personal goal to be a lifelong learner. I pursue a balance in my lessons that pushes students to experiment with novel ideas while allowing them to discover and hone their own distinctive artistic process, with the building of technical and material skill always balancing conceptual knowledge. I bring an open mind, dedication, optimism, and compassion to the classroom. I aim to create a dynamic environment that promotes inclusivity, respect, and experimentation, where each artist is making work that is meaningful to themself.
Learn With Amy
Fall 2026 Course
Adult Handbuilding: Functional Sculpture
This 10-session handbuilding class explores the relationship between sculpture and functional design. Students will learn how to build functional objects such as water fountains, lamps, music boxes, jewelry stands, and other designed forms, with an emphasis on deliberate aesthetic choices. The class focuses on bridging objects and imagination, using function as a framework for developing sculptural and visual ideas. While students learn and apply handbuilding techniques, the primary focus is on form, composition, and aesthetic expression. Open to all levels.
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