
_edited.png)
Torpedo Factory Artists' Association
working artists 🔸 open studios
TFAA

Salih Zeki Sayar
Salih Zeki Sayar is a sculptor and ceramic artist who translates the inspiring textures of nature and the depths of human experience into expressive ceramic and mixed-media forms. As the co founder and artist of MUSZ Studio since 2021, he has developed a distinctive artistic voice that merges traditional ceramic techniques with experimental approaches, bringing imaginative narratives to life through clay and beyond.
Sayar is an adjunct professor of ceramics at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he leads students in mastering the fundamentals of clay while encouraging them to push boundaries through interdisciplinary exploration. He inspires students to view art as a means of storytelling and to see their creative process as a bridge between the tactile and the conceptual.
Currently, Sayar holds a studio residency at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, where his practice thrives amidst a vibrant community of artists. Here, imagination takes shape and creativity finds its home. His studio is a place of continuous experimentation—a space where clay becomes a medium to question, reflect, and connect with others.
Each piece begins as a seed of an idea-sometimes a fleeting thought, sometimes a pressing question, and it takes shape in an ongoing dialogue between vision, hand, and matter. I seek to dissolve boundaries between mediums, allowing each concept to guide the form it requires. My work often navigates contrasts-smooth and rugged, delicate and bold—but beyond these surfaces, I aim to ignite curiosity and provoke thought. My studio is not just where objects are made; it is a space where stories breathe, shaped by hands and set into permanence, ready to resonate with those who encounter them.
Clay is my foundation, but it is merely a starting point. In my world, the elements converge, and from their union, new beings are born-enigmatic characters, guardians, and travelers of imagined realms. They emerge from fire, traverse water, and carry the spirit of earth and air. These figures become the storytellers of my practice, embodying resilience, vulnerability, and hope. Through them, I give voice to the invisible and power to the ordinary, reweaving familiar truths into new narratives. Each creation invites the viewer to step beyond reality and wander into a world where the impossible feels within reach.
![]() Rising from the DepthsCeramics, h10 x w14 x d10 inches | ![]() Thorned AwakeningPolyester, h30 x w16 x d 10 inches | ![]() Whisper of ShadowsCeramics 12h x 16w x 11 d inches | ![]() Call of the BroncoCeramics, h11 x w17 x d8 inches |
---|