Cynthia Siegel began her work in clay with the expression of her delight in beauty, and in the pleasure of making beautiful objects for everyday use. With the exception of an informal five-month apprenticeship in Jerusalem, she primarily taught herself to be a potter. Siegel lived and worked for seven years as a full-time studio potter in the remote town of Bishop, CA, in the Eastern Sierra high desert. In the making of her pottery, she sought to blend the cultural and natural worlds, inspired by both the rugged local landscapes surrounding her home, and her travel experiences in Asia.

Traveling through the temples of South India sparked an evolution of Siegel’s work. She became interested in figurative ceramic sculpture, and after moving to the central coast of California, she began to vigorously pursue this direction, earning an MFA from San Jose State University. Siegel focuses her work on the expressive possibilities of the figure, exploring how the inner workings of thought, imagination, and longing manifest externally on the figurative form. Currently, Siegel maintains a studio in Santa Cruz, CA, and teaches in the ceramics departments at Cabrillo College and Foothill College. She exhibits her work nationally and internationally.