Adam is a studio potter living and working in Minnesota. His work is inspired by industrial processes and the American studio pottery tradition. Adam takes great joy and pride in making every-day objects that work well and are crafted with care and consideration.
He hopes that his objects can be comfortably employed in one’s life; beautiful in its ability to accomplish a given task and agreeable enough to do it every day.
Above: Adam Grusetzmacher, “Vase.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Fascinated by the potential of place to define and connect us, she uses subtle narratives on functional work to elicit memories of past experiences. Nicole Aquillano establishes a close personal relationship with each piece; influenced by a nostalgia for her childhood home. Architectural imagery drawn from my photographic collection – inlaid with intense attention to detail directly into the porcelain clay becomes blurred by the movement of glaze. Aquillano is driven by a desire to hold onto that which will inevitably be lost. Her memories and experiences are carved onto objects intended to be both used and collected.
Above: Nicole Aquillano, “Assorted Shakers.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Growing up Houston based ceramicist Wyatt Little used to watch a lot of ‘Saved By The Bell’. “I remember carrying around those brick phones, like the kind Zack had on the show,” they were bulky and huge–not exactly the sleekest technology. The combination of these nostalgic items, and learning how to cast led Little to pursue ceramic art. Little’s designs begin with a memory or a treasured object. The results are decidedly quirky, whimsical objects that can be scattered throughout an apartment as standalone bits of décor, or, like his phone vases, used as catchalls for knickknacks or treasured flora. “My designs are my way of immortalizing the things I’ve always cared about,” Little says.
Above: Wyatt Little, “Computer Planter.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Lotus’ functional work reflects the way she lives from the way she cooks to the way she likes to shop. Her designs are based on her passions including cacti, Texas and science. Lotus is constantly stimulated by the world around her and feels compelled to translate it into a way that can be shared with others. Inspiration for sculptural work is based off the human figure and Lotus’ un-verbalized concerns about life and the human condition. Many of the forms are influenced by the objects she collects.
Left: Lotus, “Spike Cup” and “Skull Mug.” Ceramic. Photo by HCCC.
Didem Mert makes connections between the utilitarian object and its counterparts; the user and/or the object’s environment through Geometry, texture, and functionality. Different textural surfaces are created in Mert’s work by using pinched marks juxtaposed between smooth, defined lines and edges. Bright colors or luster shapes paired against a soft earthy color palette create high-contrast focal points in the work. The simple line-work on the pots showcases food in its presentation. Mert’s work strives to bring forth a sense of tranquility in its minimalistic design.
**The use of luster glaze makes these pieces not safe for use in the microwave**
Above: Didem Mert, “Butter Dish.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Angel Oloshove is a Houston, TX, based ceramicist who has quickly garnered attention for her unique whimsical ceramics. After attending CCA, Oloshove moved to Japan and took on an involved craft practice. Working in toy and doll production for a Japanese-based company, Oloshove met toy fabricators who were supremely talented and had honed their techniques for many years. Oloshove incorporates those experiences as well as pop cultural influences into her work today. With ceramics that are utilitarian in nature, Oloshove hopes her pieces can permeate the sanctity of someone’s daily ritual. In this way, the artworks become a part of someone’s life, reminding them of forgotten acts like drinking the morning coffee.
As a professional photographer, Peter Olson has traveled the world many times over. From corporate culture to religious iconography, Olson finds meaning in the repetition of human expression. The images encasing each ceramic piece are left by ink from photographic prints that when fired, burn away leaving a permanent and detailed image from the iron oxide in the ink. These expertly collaged individual pieces give way to a fixed visual narrative, a kaleidoscope of imagery than spans centuries and continents. When joined this way, each motif contributes to a network of increasing complexity.
Above: Peter Olson, “Skull 2 vessel.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Dustin Yager received his BA in studio art from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, and his MA in visual and critical studies from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Yager has exhibited his work most recently in the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction’s juried art show in Bloomington, Indiana. Yager’s work draws attention to the fact that we are both consumers and producers of culture. Culture exists on a variety of scales, from incredibly personal experiences to the values embodied by our material belongings, creations, displays, and actions.
Above: Dustin Yager, “Yummy Ceral Bowl.” Ceramic. Photo courtesy of the artist.