Kara “Zuzu” Zupancic is a Pittsburgh-based ceramic sculptor whose work draws from nature, storytelling, and personal experience. She holds a BA in Studio Art and an MA in Art Education, and spent over a decade as an arts educator before fully committing to her sculptural practice in 2020. Her work ranges from intricately hand-sculpted functional pieces to large-scale ceramic forms, often inspired by animals and emotional memory.
Zuzu is largely self-taught but has refined her practice through workshops with artists around the world, including a formative study with Alessandro Gallo in Bali. In 2022, she completed a residency at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and is currently a mentee in the advanced sculpture mentorship at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, led by Del Harrow and Ebitenyefa Baralaye. She was honored with the 2024 Laura Ziegler Scholarship from the National Sculpture Society in recognition of her emerging voice in the field.
The animals she sculpts are often drawn from everyday encounters—chosen for the emotional resonance they hold. Through clay, she explores transformation, inner landscapes, and the quiet power of symbolism. Her work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with layered narratives that live just beneath the surface.