Take Magaine, Roberto Lugo
Roberto Lugo
CeramicistStreet ArtistKnown for:
Hand-thrown ceramic vessels merging classical pottery forms with graffiti, hip-hop culture, and portraits of Black and Latino figures
Education:
Kansas City Art Institute (BFA, 2012); Pennsylvania State University (MFA, 2014)
Roberto Lugo is a Philadelphia-based ceramicist, social activist, and educator born in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia to working-class Puerto Rican parents. He began as a graffiti artist before discovering pottery at a community college in Florida, going on to earn a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State. His hand-thrown vessels, including teapots, urns, and ginger jars, merge classical European and Asian ceramic traditions with hip-hop imagery and portraits of historically underrepresented Black and Latino figures. He is an Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University and has received the Rome Prize, a Pew Fellowship, and the Heinz Award.
Roberto Lugo's Gear List(5)
Generic
Product description
High-fire clay body composed primarily of kaolin, firing between 1200 and 1400C. Porcelain produces a translucent, vitrified body with a distinctive white color and smooth surface. It is less forgiving than stoneware and requires precise moisture control during throwing and drying.
Connection note
Works primarily with porcelain for refined vessels with china paint and luster decoration.
Generic
Product description
Mid- to high-fire clay body that matures between Cone 6 and Cone 10 (roughly 1200-1300C). Denser and less porous than earthenware after firing, stoneware is used for functional pottery and sculptural work requiring structural strength.
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Last updated March 22, 2026
