CRUST - Ceramics reimagined using sustainable technique

The malleability of clay is both physical and conceptual, offering a connection to the natural world while responding to a desire for tactility and meaning in our digital age. Clay is formed over centuries from the weathering and erosion of rocks through slow but continuous processes and the production of ceramics was historically located near clay deposits. Today however, ceramic materials are industrially produced by global mining operations which standardize materials, ship long distances and enact a heavy environmental toll. Associate Professor Linda Swanson and MFA Students in Ceramics and Sculpture Teresa Dorey, Daniel Gillberg and Loriane Thibodeau are four artists working with ceramics while centering sustainability as a core concern conceptually and technically in their practice. The panel will present recent projects and initiatives that highlight material and firing innovations involving local, recycled and renewable resources.

About the panelists

Teresa Dorey

Teresa Dorey is an artist, researcher, and educator dedicated to environmental consciousness. Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and Conseil des Arts de Montréal, she has exhibited and participated in residencies in Canada, France, Italy, and Denmark. As director of the Sustainable Studios group project, which earned the top Environmental prize from Forces AVENIR, she is also pursuing an MFA in Sculpture and Ceramics with SSHRC and a Fine Arts Scholarship.

Daniel Gillberg

Daniel Gillberg is an interdisciplinary artist working with sculpture, photography, and installation. Drawing from ceramic craft and fine art conservation, he explores material value, cultural identity, and our evolving relationship with objects. By transforming discarded materials, his work uncovers overlooked narratives and reflects on sustainable approaches to art making.

Loriane Thibodeau

As an artist-citizen driven by the challenges of adapting to diverse spaces and audiences, Loriane Thibodeau focuses on sculptural installations, collaborative research, and participatory art to foster engaging experiences. She holds two technical degrees in crafts (ceramics and sculpture), and a BFA in Studio Arts with a Minor in Art Education which included studying and teaching at Lapin Yliopisto / University of Lapland, in Finland. Loriane teaches ceramics at the Cégep level, and is a consultant with expertise in ceramics, sculpture and public art.

Linda Swanson

Teaching in the Studio Arts Department at Concordia, Associate Professor Linda Swanson is an artist whose interests are grounded in the metamorphic nature of ceramic materials and processes. Her raw and kiln fired ceramic works have been exhibited internationally with recent exhibitions at the Gardiner Museum, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Musée Nationale de Sèvres. Her research focuses on novel and sustainable material development, receiving the 2025 Sustainability Fellowship from the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts.