Artist Spotlight: Samy Boulos

About Samy

"I’m a lecturer and analytical specialist at the federal university in Zurich, Switzerland, and while my professional life is rooted in science with a background in chemistry, I’ve always loved creating things with my hands. In the summer of 2023, a friend took me to try pottery on the wheel, and I fell for the clay instantly. After a slow start, that grew into a lively community. And in a full‑circle moment, I’m now part of the team at Bü’s Keramik, the studio where I first learned the craft."

View more of Samy's ceramic work!

Q: What inspires your work or keeps you excited in the studio?

A: "I’m constantly inspired by glaze experimentation — layering, mixing, adjusting firing conditions, and seeing how small changes create completely different surfaces. There’s always something new to try, and there are so many platforms online where people post their glaze combinations, for a constant source of inspiration."

Q: What is your go-to, get-in-the-zone, method of choice?

A: "When I’m throwing on the wheel or I’m glazing in my home studio, I almost always have something playing in the background. Its usually podcasts on YouTube, or a Netflix show I’ve already seen which is key for me, to avoid it being too distracting."

Q: What is your favorite AMACO product and why?

A: "I have so many favorites from the Potter’s Choice line, that it’s hard to choose just one. Albany Slip Brown is incredibly rich on its own, Iron Lustre and Blue Rutile make beautiful Frozen Pond cover glazes, and Deep Firebrick paired with Chun Plum creates stunning base layers, to name a few.My Instagram and Facebook reels probably give away how much I enjoy exploring different combinations and picking a single favorite feels impossible."

Q: Any advice you'd give to someone just starting out with clay?

A: "Don’t be precious about your work. Not every project is a keeper. Sometimes you just need to see a project to the end, learn from the outcome, take notes, and move on. A lot of times it is faster to remake an object than it is to toil over trying to salvage it. Clay is best learned through repetition and redesigning so a lot of the times the second or third attempt to make something is infinitely better than the first."