Over the past 15 years, my studio practice has focused on creating wheel-thrown ceramic sculptures inspired by Eastern temple-bells, an object with a distinctly beautiful shape, a myriad of symbolic cultural meanings, and transformative sound. Each bell I make has a clear-ringing and unique tone, and design experiments are done to determine the ideal shape, size, and firing temperature needed for specific acoustic qualities. With each installation, I aim to create an engaging visual, tactile, and auditory experience; designing an environment filled with my own burnt wood (shou sugi ban) torii gate scaffolds and sculpture pedestals to suspend the work and transform a gallery into a meditative space.

My studio name, Baked Clay Studio, refers to my love for, and continued exploration of, raw + unglazed ceramic surface finishes. They range from hand polished marble-like surfaces that mimic the weathering of marble sculpture, to roughly layered objects with evidence of heavily carved or graffitied marks that reference forgotten and unearthed artifacts. The challenge I have adopted most recently is in marrying the sleek profiles of Modern design with weather-worn + ancient Neolithic surface qualities.

As a teacher, I lecture about the deep importance of The Maker in our society and of the Studio Pottery Movement as the antithesis to the trend for mass-produced wares growing out of the Industrial Revolution. My own practice is rooted in a desire to connect to that sentiment and share thoughtfully crafted objects for one's home that can become part of the rituals of life. My studio practice is truly a labor of love. I create my work in the available moments between lessons with my students, with my children playing next to my wheel on the weekend when they were young, or in the quiet moments of the night in my small basement studio when the kids are in bed. I began making bells right after my kids were born, because bells are symbols for beginnings + endings, and their sound can signal moments of tranquil thought + contemplation; a concept especially important in the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle filling our lives with constant reminders for the need of a peaceful counterbalance.