One-to-one lessons
Personalized wheel throwing or handbuilding. Suitable for first-time makers and more experienced students who want focused guidance.
Explore the lesson ↗Born there.
Made here.
An American ceramic artist and designer working in Milan between functional objects, sculptural expression, teaching, and international competition.
Artist / Ceramicist / Designer
Daniel Pontoriero is Dapo.
His ceramic practice lives between function and sculpture. Everyday feelings and interactions become bold artworks that reveal something about an inner being while asking the viewer to touch, use, or move around them.
Daniel earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Sustainable Planning from the University of Colorado Boulder (2018–2022), followed by a Master in Urban Visioning and Architectural Design at Domus Academy in Milan (2022–2023). Work with Matteo Mauro Studio and an ongoing relationship with curator Pietro Monopoli brought the practice into Milan’s contemporary art context.
DAPOTTERY Studio is the working home of that practice: art, design, manufacture, lessons, and commissions under one roof in Lambrate.
9+Years of practice
6International exhibitions
3Competition locations
MIBased in Milan
Work with the studioLearn. Make.
Learn. Make.
Collaborate.
Tactile, calm, and memorable experiences shaped around material.
Group classes
Two-hour group sessions for up to eight guests, including firing. A generous format for friends, teams, and shared occasions.
Explore group sessions ↗Commissions
Collections, restaurant and hotel ware, graduation gifts, private artworks, and site-specific ceramic pieces developed through a collaborative process.
Explore commissions ↗Selected credentialsStudy +
Study +
recognition.
The foundation behind the material practice.
Master, Urban Visioning + Architectural Design
Domus Academy Scholars Award.
Milan, ItalyEducation
Bachelor, Environmental Design
Sustainable Planning; Tim Grice Scholars Award.
Boulder, USAEducation
Ceramics Excellence Award
Early recognition for ceramic practice.
New Jersey, USAAward