The Potter's Hands
CartApril Dupuis
April Dupuis is a ceramic artist and the founder of The Potter's Hands Studio in Oxford, Mississippi, known for hand-carved sgraffito stoneware — functional vessels decorated with Southern florals and faith-inspired imagery, no two alike.
Two decades shaping clay
April earned a BFA in art education from Anderson University in 2004 and a Master of Ceramics and Visual Arts from Ball State University in 2006. From 2005 to 2007 she was the studio assistant to potter John Peterson in Albany, Indiana, where she fell for sgraffito — the carving technique that still defines her work.
A teacher at heart, she founded The Potter's Hands Studio across Indianapolis, Memphis, and Columbus, leading adult pottery classes for 17 years and mentoring other instructors along the way.
Her work has reached well beyond the classroom: she was commissioned to create 450 pieces for the acclaimed Memphis restaurant Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, made for a James Beard Foundation dinner. Today she works from her studio in Oxford, Mississippi, where she teaches in-person classes in Oxford and Hernando and creates new collections and custom commissions — and still helps lead worship at her church, sharing videos of her pottery set to the music that inspires it.
A career in clay
“I throw red stoneware and white clay on the wheel, coat each piece in white porcelain slip, then carve through that surface to reveal the clay beneath. I carve lilies for their openness, trees that reach toward an eternal goal, and garden flowers for the unexpected joys revealed in my walk of faith.”
After firing, April works earth-pigment oxides into the carved lines, then underglazes and a clear glaze, so the detail and color come alive in the kiln. Function matters to her — but never more than the form and beauty of the piece.
— April Dupuis
“Her gorgeous pottery is an absolute delight and inspires me each day I use it in my home.”
Bring a piece of the studio home
Explore April's one-of-a-kind work, commission something for your own table, or learn the craft from her directly.