On Craft
My respect for craft has always stemmed from an appreciation for art that is functional. Wheel thrown ceramics are, from my perspective, a perfect demonstration of a supreme union of beauty and function. Certainly a well thrown and masterfully glazed pot can be exquisite to look at, but its beauty truly comes to fruition when it is in use— when it is performing the job it was made to perform. As a ceramicist, I always keep use in mind while designing my pots. Cups should be pleasurable to hold, bowls should be sturdy, but open such that you can see and appreciate what you're consuming, while vases should be elegant and strong— a stable support to offset the fragility of the flowers they contain. Rather than finding utilitarian requirements limiting, I see them as regenerative. Challenges, such as molding a properly weighted handle, are worth mastering. In ceramics, there is liberation in constraint and comfort in tradition.
