exhibitions

Kristen Swanson

04/1/2018 - 5/30/2018

Kristen Swanson

I discovered clay as a sophomore in college in 1991. It captured my heart, my intellect and my creative expression in a powerful way. I knew immediately that my life would revolve around this beautiful material. I finished my degree in elementary education, all the while sneaking into the ceramic studio on campus during the wee hours of the night, spending every available moment developing my skill. I taught elementary school for two years and proceeded to Virginia Commonwealth University to study ceramics and earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I have devoted my life first to my family and second to my own expression through clay.

I am committed to making art that is useful and enjoyable. I approach each piece as a problem to solve and an opportunity to communicate my own sense of beauty and order. I am interested in creating visual tension and balance on the surface of my pottery. I enjoy manipulating the elements of line, pattern and color to achieve a surface that is both controlled and spontaneous, graphic and soft. The use of black is visually grounding, balances the femininity of my patterns, and offers the highest contrast to my porcelain clay body. I use a variety of brushes, slip trail bottles and carving tools to create patterns on unfired ware. The use of sgraffito through black slip connects the surface decoration to the porcelain body. I am strongly influenced by traditional Japanese textiles and block prints as well as contemporary architecture, patterns and interiors. I have recently begun making larger forms and am learning how to approach pattern and scale on larger pieces.