Firuze currently runs two parallel ceramic brands: The Claybenders, which began as her teaching studio in Istanbul and has evolved into a line of eye-adorned functional vessels exploring perception and connection; and VLV Ceramics, a body of work shaped by queer and feminist movements that uses vulva forms to challenge taboos, reclaim bodily autonomy, and celebrate pleasure.
Alongside her studio practice, she offers clay workshops for newcomers, youth, and diverse communities, creating accessible entry points into ceramics and fostering supportive spaces where personal stories and creativity can emerge through the material.
After training with master potters and learning techniques such as slip-casting, mold making, glazing, and sculpting, Firuze began developing her own visual language in Istanbul. Clay became a way for her to express conceptual ideas.
Now residing in Calgary, she continues to expand her artistic practice while collaborating with local artists and engaging with the city’s cultural scene. In her artworks, she values participatory art to bring people together around a concept, encouraging participants to explore their own experiences through ceramic object. Since moving to Canada in 2022, she has received multiple Individual Artist Grants from Calgary Arts Development and has exhibited in galleries and artist-run centres across the city, including Contemporary Calgary.
