I am interested in the relationship between people and handmade objects.  As a potter, I occasionally have the opportunity to see or hear how someone is living with and using a piece that I created. This type of experience is my main motivation for creating pottery. In order to facilitate these interactions, my goal is to make pottery that is striking and functional.

While visiting a friend’s home in China, I observed, while having tea, there is an interaction between people and the pottery.  During this social time, guest and host alike consider the other first, by making sure no one has to fill their own cup.  When we participated in this activity, I reflected upon the idea that the pottery could influence the social interaction; even if only in a subconscious way.  As I build my own pieces, this memory influences what I create.

Since returning from China, I chose to focus on making pottery that combines Chinese and Japanese aesthetics.   Pottery, and its use while taking tea in China, can be seen as a representation for life.  In Japan, the pot itself represents life, as found in the tea ceremony.  Combining these traditional elements of pottery, I desire to make pieces that create similar representations and could possibly change a routine into a ritual.