Grace's Artist Statement

I seek a balance between utility and decoration through my work, creating pieces that are both visually interesting and comfortable to use. By drawing from nature and the human form, I search for a sense of fluidity and immediacy in my work, hoping to maintain the fluid curves found in natural elements. My work is nontraditional in form, forcing the user to consider how they might engage with each piece.

Clay as a material seems to want to move in a particular manner. I want to appreciate the materiality of the clay during the making process and allow it to move in this manner while also working with intent and maintaining a sense of control. Additionally, I explore the responsive nature of clay within my work, allowing the parts of the whole to interact with each other. I prefer leaving process marks rather than refining the surface, revealing my process to the viewer. The unrefined form is meant to allow the viewer to further consider the built nature of the object with which they are interacting. My simple approach to glazing accentuates these marks. By experimenting with different glaze-layering techniques, I am able to determine which colors best suit the forms while still accounting for surface marks that I hope to leave visible.