Clay has captured my fascination for over 3 decades because it offers an unending possibility to create and experiment with form and function. My work explores the concept of balance and interplay. Between simple and vibrant colors using oxide washes and mid-range fired glazes, pairing simple and complex forms in a place setting, and smooth and textured surfaces. My greatest inspiration comes from a Japanese aesthetics concept called “wabi-sabi (侘寂)”. Wabi means “understated elegance” and “Sabi” means “taking pleasure in the imperfect.” I embrace this philosophy using stoneware clay and a variety of construction techniques: slab construction, potter’s wheels, and slip cast to push the boundaries of form and function in handcrafted dinnerware.

I make pottery out of stoneware clay. It has a strong body with a hint of a gritty texture that comes out as subtle iron flecks when it is fired. For me, the unpredictable nature of the iron combined with oxide washes, and mid-range glaze is the purest way that I can embrace the essence of wabi-sabi.

My hope for my pottery is that it is woven into the day to day lives of the people who possess it – starting your day with a cup of coffee, dinners with family, quiet afternoon cups of tea, a late-night bowl of ice cream. My color palette is bold and vibrant. It seeks to stand out, to be courageous and stand with the food it serves, not under it as a pedestal. As a queer artist, embracing vibrant color in my pottery means embracing my own authenticity.