Ceramics are one of the oldest forms of art, as they were discovered in China over 7,000 years ago. Ceramic materials have been used since then to create everything from pottery and sculptures for decorative purposes to industrial objects such as pipes or tiles. The process starts with a clay body that is molded into shape by hand on an open-wheel before being dried out either naturally or using kilns at high temperatures where it will stay until completely dry and rigid when ready for use again.
Ceramics go back millennia – some scholars say their existence dates all the way back to 7000 BC! A ceramic artist might start off making simple figures made from clay that can be decorated without firing them in ovens first.