The Yellow Figure II
Private collection
Armenian-born · Utica, New York
The shape
of becoming.
Sculptural vessels at the meeting of memory, instinct, and transformation.
Explore the work 2026 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow
01 / Selected work
A closer encounter.
Vessels that hold more than space. Explore form, surface, and the traces of the hand.
Artwork reference numbers identify the photographs. Titles, dimensions, and availability are available by inquiry.
02 / In the studioWork in
Work in
progress.
The latest vessel, as it takes shape. Six moments of form, sculptural detail, and surface.
03 / Bodies of workOne material.
One material.
Many passages.
From birth and protection to voyage and memory. Ten continuing conversations with clay.
Vessels & sculpture / Series 01
Ova
Birth & possibilityThe vessel as a beginning. Ova explores birth, renewal, and the potential held within a form before it fully reveals itself.
For a complete series selection and artwork details, contact the studio.
04 / Collected worksWorks in
Works in
private collections.
A continuing life beyond the studio. Works that become part of a personal world.
Acquired
Surface as a record of experience.05 / The artistA life shaped
A life shaped
through clay.
From Armenia to Upstate New York, the vessel has remained a way of thinking about identity, movement, and belonging.
Born near Yerevan in 1976, Vartan Poghosian began working with clay at ten and entered an apprenticeship at thirteen. His practice has grown through decades of making, mentorship, and experimentation.
Travel, architecture, cultural memory, and the natural world inform his work. A form may begin on the wheel, then evolve through the hand. Layered surfaces and sculptural details give each vessel its own presence.
Based in Utica, New York, he is also the founder of 4 Elements Studio, a nonprofit arts space expanding access to creative life in the community.
Clay becomes a language for what we carry. Memory. Identity. A sense of belonging.
Vartan PoghosianVessels · Sculpture · Water works
06 / Founding 4 Elements StudioMaking space
Making space
for others.
I founded 4 Elements Studio to create a place where people could make, learn, and feel that they belong.
Visit 4 Elements StudioFounder & Artistic Director · Utica, New York
4 Elements began with ceramics classes and exhibitions in a basement studio. As more people came through the door, the possibilities grew: new disciplines, shared resources, and opportunities for artists and neighbors to learn from one another.
Today, it is a nonprofit community arts center offering workshops, exhibitions, studio space, and equipment. Its work brings creative opportunities to people of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities, including people with disabilities.
Alongside my own ceramic practice, I continue this work as Founder and Artistic Director. Building a welcoming place for others to create is an ongoing part of my life as an artist.
- The early studio
A beginning in clay
A ceramics studio became a gathering place for classes, exhibitions, and a growing creative community.
- 2019
A shared mission
4 Elements Studio became a nonprofit in 2019, extending its commitment to arts education and community access.
- 2024
A home on Court Street
In 2024, the studio purchased 809 Court Street in Utica, creating room for its next chapter of classes, exhibitions, and artist spaces.
07 / Exhibitions & recognition
Along the way.
NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship
Craft / Sculpture
Community Resilience
Group exhibition · February 5–March 12
Flower City Pottery Invitational
Invited artist
September Guest Artist
Featured ceramic artist
OUTRE
Solo exhibition · Opening June 8
Let the work
bring us together.
info@vartanpoghosian.comMake room for a new dialogue.
Exhibitions, representation, curatorial research, and collaborations. Request a portfolio, artist CV, or a studio conversation.
Find a work to live with.
Ask about an artwork, availability, dimensions, shipping, or a studio visit. Every inquiry is an invitation to look a little closer.
Studio · Utica, New YorkVisits by appointment