Micah Lewis-Văn Sweezie - Large Scale Moldmaking and Casting

Build bigger. Cast smarter. Work with confidence at scale.

Large-scale molds demand a different way of thinking... about materials, structure, and process. This workshop takes you beyond the basics and into the techniques that actually matter when you're working big: how to construct and reinforce molds that hold up, and how to mix and use a plemp casting body designed specifically for large-scale work.

Whether you're a moldmaker, potter, or handbuilder, what you learn here translates directly into how you approach clay and plaster at any large-scale format.

What You'll Learn

Large-Scale Mold Construction You'll learn how to build plaster molds that are structurally sound at scale - including the reinforcement techniques that prevent warping, cracking, and failure under the weight and stress that large molds demand.

Plemp Slip Casting for Large Molds You'll get the recipe and the understanding behind a plemp casting body specifically calibrated for large-scale work - not just what to mix, but why it works and how to adjust it for your practice.

Advanced Techniques with Real Transferability The skills covered go beyond moldmaking. You'll walk away with a deeper understanding of how clay and plaster behave at scale - knowledge that applies whether you're casting, handbuilding, or working in mixed construction methods.

Moldmaking Fundamentals (Briefly Covered) Core concepts are revisited to ensure everyone is working from the same foundation - though this workshop is best suited to those who already have some moldmaking experience under their belt.

What You'll Walk Away With

• The knowledge to construct your own large-scale plaster mold from start to finish
• A plemp slip casting recipe and the understanding to use it confidently
• Advanced moldmaking techniques applicable across large-scale ceramic construction
• Practical insight into how clay and plaster interact differently at scale

Materials You'll Need

To follow along and work hands-on, you'll need:

A model (object to be molded), clay, plaster, a particulate respirator, safety glasses, 5-gallon buckets, clay and plaster tools (carving tools, loop tools, wood tools, metal ribs, surform, knife, sponge, chip brushes, paint brushes), a drill and mixer, mold soap (Murphy's Oil Soap), a spray bottle, measuring tape, bench scrapers, a rubber mallet, drywall sandpaper or a green scrub pad, mold straps, burlap or jute fabric, flax fiber, toilet paper, and dry materials to mix slip.

About Micah Lewis-Văn Sweezie

Micah Lewis-Văn Sweezie is a sculptor and ceramic mold maker from Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are shaped and influenced by dichotomous elements of culture and craft from their upbringing in both Vietnam and America. They earned their BFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago spring of 2022 primarily focused in ceramics and sculpture. Micah is also recognized as a 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellow and dually, a 2025 Northern Indiana Clay Alliance Emerging Artist. Micah is currently living and working in Philadelphia as an artist-in-residence at The Clay Studio.

Sweezie produces ceramic and sculptural works to investigate themes of labor, fragility, memory, globalization, and material history. Their practice is heavily informed by historical research and is often inspired by revolutionary events and personal ancestral histories. Correlations between human intervention and industrial production are the crux of their work. These correlations broaden realities of understanding around our physical world, product origins, and our relationship to industrialized material. Sweezie’s forms are posed as recognizable and minimal to reflect their origins while simultaneously contrasting themselves through alternative mediums and processes. Sweezie utilizes molded and cast forms frequently to question values tied to reproduction and authorship within industry. Material value is also central to their practice. Sweezie employs an assortment of mediums such as porcelain, latex, bronze, rubber, rice paper, cast plastic, and gold gilding. Through these materials, they aspire to reposition suppressed relational histories within global and institutional perceptions.

Website: micahsweezie.com