Artist Statement

As a potter, I strive for clean, well thrown, symmetrical forms. As a figurative artist, I tend to draw attention to the beauty in broken things. Clay, which is my preferred medium, has infinite possibilities and the material itself always has the potential to be reclaimed and reused almost infinitely. While ceramics are also fragile and prone to breakage, I want those broken pieces to live a second life. People can also be fragile and prone to breakage, but it is how we use the leftover pieces that illuminates our true resilience.

I find myself thinking about the dichotomy between utility/craftsmanship and representational works. Where is the line that differentiates accepted fine art and what are traditionally considered crafts. How can I use what is traditionally craft as a basis for sculptural works? At my heart, I consider myself a potter and I pride myself on my craftsmanship. However, part of the nature of ceramics is accepting the fact that things will inevitably break. It is this relationship with pottery and its fragility that has shaped the way that I approach representational works as a whole.

This overall concept also plays into the idea of the reclamation of nature. I feel deeply connected to the ground beneath our feet and I'm constantly aware of the environmental and social impact of humanity and likewise the impact nature has on humanity. Ultimately, my figurative work takes inspiration from philosophical quandaries that, in my opinion, philosophy cannot answer definitively. What does it mean to be ethical? Who and what do we have ethical obligations to? What does it really mean to be human? These are some of the questions I tackle in my sculptural works.

While ceramics is my first love, I also use various artistic mediums to express my views on the universe when they feel appropriate. I will use any form of media that is best suited to expressing a theme or idea.

Ultimately, my experience as a potter influences the kinds of pieces that I make, and how I interact with any particular given medium. At the end of the day, the creation of any art helps me articulate thoughts and emotions that sometimes words, and an entire philosophy degree, cannot.