Graduates of the Diploma Program, the Benyamini Ceramic Art School 2026
What is the significance of choosing to work with clay at this point in time, when diverse and varied worlds flash across our screens in a split second? A reality where artificial intelligence generates perfect images and texts at the touch of a button?
Working with clay and turning it into the focal point of life are daily choices with a unique rhythm dictated by the nature of the material itself, the processes of working, drying, and firing. These processes demand slowing down, depth, and patience. The choice of clay is a personal statement that is not merely aesthetic, but also value-driven: it is a commitment to an intellectual presence with a broad cultural context; a presence in the body, in time, through lengthy processes and hard physical labor, through failures and successes. It is also what enables us to be part of a supportive and growing community that shares similar values.
The choice to work and create with clay is a human act of resistance against a society that measures success by efficiency, speed, and output.
The works in the exhibition present a personal, conceptual, material, formal, and colorful journey through clay —touching upon the history of ceramics, collections of objects, family memories, and questions about stability and female identity. They address the relationship between inside and outside, and between the soul and the object, as well as investigations into unique materials, shapes, textures, and surface qualities.
The pieces tell a human, personal, and at times universal story, examining the relationships between control and loss of control, nature and the human spirit, the connection between the natural and the material, architectural inspirations, modularity, the breakdown and assembly of ceramic volumes, alongside references to play, movement, sound, humor, and daily routine.
The Benyamini Ceramic Art School Diploma Studies Program was launched thirteen years ago, about two years after the Benyamini Center reopened on Ha’amal Street in Tel Aviv-Yafo. Several principles guided us as we built the curriculum: respect for the craft, professionalism, and expertise; diverse, high-quality, generous, and nurturing instruction; and flexibility in schedule planning adapted to each student’s level of knowledge and lifestyle. In 2026/27 we will begin the 13th year of the program.
The Benyamini Ceramic Art School Diploma Studies Program is recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Sport.
Graduates of the Diploma Program, the Benyamini Ceramic Art School 2026
Graduates: Ofir Avraham Haimovich, Eliya Barzilay, Idit Barlev, Hila Gabay, Eran A. Gornat, Hamutal Dadia, Or Daniel, Amit Hershkovits, Maya Katz, Dan Kolinko, Ravit Inbar Kasirer, Tal Shimizu, Sophi Shifman
Curator and Program Director: Ravit Lazer
Opening: Tuesday, 16/9/26, 18:00
Closing: Saturday, 3/10/26, 14:00
