Ceramic Artist, Kfar Adumim, Judean Desert

In the windswept ridges of the Judean Desert, between Jerusalem’s golden glow and the still expanse of the Dead Sea, Ana Clara sits at her pottery wheel. Her hands, steady yet fluid, shape the desert’s story into form — turning simple clay into vessels of color, light, and memory.

A mother of four and a modern pioneer, Ana Clara draws inspiration from the landscape around her and the life she has built there with her husband, Javier. Each piece she creates is influenced by her surroundings: the warm mineral hues of the cliffs, the cool blue of the twilight sky, the rare bloom that appears after rain. Her glazes — rich with movement and depth — mirror the shifting tones of the desert itself.

She believes that art, like faith, grows from the meeting of patience and fire. Every bowl, cup, and plate she makes holds that balance — a reminder that even in the desert, beauty and life take root.

Through her craft, Ana Clara shares a piece of Israel’s ancient landscape, inviting others to see how creation, when shaped by love and light, becomes something enduring.