Adama Sow

“I was born in Thies, Senegal. Thies is a region about fifty miles from the capital city of Dakar. I have worked with clay for the past 20 years. In my country, women in the villages often do traditional pottery within the family. My big brother is the one who gave me a taste for pottery. He has been a ceramist for 36 years.

I obtained my diploma in ceramics in 1986 in Senegal and had my first exhibition at the historic museum of Goree (island) in Dakar in 1989. A year later, I began teaching classes to both adults and children. To further my education, in 1995 I attended the FUH School of Ceramics in Hor-Grenzhausen, Germany and obtained a certificate.

I came to the Twin Cities in 2002 searching for a place to create, teach and share knowledge with other clay artists. I felt the warmth and openness of Edina Art Center where I now teach mosaic, sculpture and pottery on the wheel. I bring my knowledge of African techniques which are different from those in the U.S. or Europe and blend them.”

Adama teaches youth and adult pottery classes at Edina Art Center.