In October we put out a call for potters, asking our readers to submit their own work and recommend their favorite artists for publication on cfile.daily – the response was overwhelming. We reviewed more than 1,100 submissions putting a massive amount of potters in front of our editorial team. We looked at every one, and with your help, we have found some of the most exciting potters working around the world. This is the first of many posts that we have planned for 2016 using your submissions as a supplement to our own research. You can always reccomend work for us to review here!
To celebrate the incoming new year, we have put together a list of 15 Potters to Watch in 2016. These are the potters who are making moves. Some are in graduate programs and taking huge strides, some are mid-career and working on exciting new projects, others are potters in the periphery who we think are on the edge of breakthrough. You will recognize some that we have covered before on cfile.daily, but most are new faces. We have included links and info about each potter and encourage you to explore their work further on their websites and on social media. Please remember that these artists are being presented equally, not in hierarchical order, because their radically different directions, goals, and aesthetics.
We use the term “pottery” and “potter” extremely loosely. Some of these are sculptors that use pots as a conceptual element in their work, some are painters that use vessels as a canvas, and others are traditional functional studio potters. We have done our best to clarify each use of the terms in the descriptions of each artist’s work.
Mike Helke
Mike Helke is an incredibly exciting potter to follow because his work is constantly shifting and changing. The change is not manic, or driven by fear of repetition. Instead, it is a continuous meditative curiosity of form, process, and surface. Jumping around his meticulously labeled time periods of work on his website exposes his relentless experimentation, not without failures, and his own visual language connecting the initially disparate series’. His 2015 work is his best yet, and we are looking forward to what his spring, summer, fall, and winter collections bring in 2016. Visit Helke’s Instagram for a more intimate look at his process.
Mike Helke
Mike Helke
Matt Fiske
An MFA candidate at Utah State, Matt Fiske is performing an impressive balancing act of historically rooted forms and glazes, an interest in local and forged materials, and a surprising nod to modern design in the finished pieces. If your first impression of Fiske is his blog, filled with his geological excavation escapades, you may expect his work to be crunchy woodfired pottery; the type of work that the forms and surfaces are an afterthought to a true passion in geology and neat looking rocks. It’s beautiful to then see his portfolio which proves a rounded and thoughtful practice, including clean celadon glazed porcelain forms suitable for a modern design showroom.
Matt Fiske
Matt Fiske
Noah Riedel
Reidel, a Helena, Montana-based designer, has made huge strides in recent years, now producing work like no else in the field. We covered his work in a recent article you can read here.
“Noah Riedel approaches his ceramic design with without preconceptions of the rules of the material. Expected traits of functional-ware are missing from his practice, the glossy surfaces, solid fluid colors, and even typical production methods. I don’t imagine Riedel has anything against them, he’s just found a better way. The result of his objective approach to ceramic process is a unique and diverse aesthetic experience rarely achieved in functional pottery.”
Noah Riedel
Noah Riedel
Jessica Putnam Phillips
The combination of a brilliant illustration skills, conceptual use of pottery, and modern themes have found Jessica Putnam Phillips huge art world success in 2015. Her work was recently a part of the exhibition “Art, and Other Tactics: Contemporary Craft by Artist Veterans” at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, CA, one of nine exhibitions Putnam-Phillips participated in this year. This past fall she attended the prestigious residency program, A.I.R. Vallauris in the South of France, spending September and October creating a new series of work culminating in an international exhibition.
Jessica Putnam Phillips, Onward & Upward, Porcelain, Molded Grenades, Bullets and M-4’s, Mishima, Underglaze, Glaze, Mother of Pearl and Platinum Luster, 2015
Jessica Putnam Phillips, In sha’ Allah, Porcelain, Molded Bullets, Mishima, Underglaze, Glaze, Gold Luster, 2015
Jin Eui Kim
This London-based Op Art ceramicist is creating confusing holes in reality all over Europe. We first met Jin Eui Kim at Ceramic Art London 2015 where we learned about his contemporary pottery practice and architectural painting installation in London. His forthcoming exhibition schedule is impressive, including a show at Puls Contemporary Ceramics in Brussels, Belgium in January 2106.
Perry Haas
Since graduating in 2011 from Utah State University, Perry Haas has been in an intense development period. He is a wood fire potter carving out a niche in a realm where it is difficult to differentiate oneself from the sea of brown pottery, a result of a love for the process and lifestyle. In just the past 4 years he has attended residencies at the Clay Studio of Missoula, Red Lodge Clay Center in Montana, the Guldafergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark, and The Archie Bray Foundation, where he currently works and will remain through 2016.
Perry Haas
Perry Haas
Perry Haas
Roberto Lugo
Lugo may have been the most talked about ceramic artist within the ceramic community of 2015. He launched into the spotlight with this moving NCECA Emerging artist speech and gained more momentum in his solo exhibition with Ferrin Contemporary this past summer. He is not slowing down, and you can keep up with his sense of humor on Instagram (littered with ridiculous pottery-themed memes), between his powerful exhibitions confronting racial inequality and other pressing social issues.
Roberto Lugo
Roberto Lugo
Tom Jaszczak
Aside from making exquisite work combining atmospheric surfaces and graphic accents, Tom Jaszczak is in the midst of some very exciting career moves. He has just settled at Penland School of Craft for a 3-year residency and is preparing for a 2-month hiatus to Taiwan as resident at the Yingge Museum in Taipei. Additionally, (SPOILER) he will be presenting and an NCECA Emerging Artist in March, 2016.
Tom Jaszczak
Tom Jaszczak
Didem Mert
When consulting with professionals in the field, Didem Mert came up repeatedly. Mert is an ambitious young potter, current MFA caudate at Edinboro University, making playful handbuilt functional-ware. She is one-half of The M&M Clay and Food Porn Project, a pottery+food photography collaboration endeavor with culinary artist Lydia Bungart-Morrison. You can follow her work on Instagram, where she has an impressive following.
Didem Mert
Didem Mert
Brian Rochefort
Brian Rochefort’s Gloop sculptures “represent a relentless material romance.” His work has been massively popular in the past year, penetrating the fine art world exhibiting at The Armory Show, NYC, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles; California, The Kitchen, NYC, The Cabin, Los Angeles, and Harper’s Books at Miami Art Week.
Brian Rochefort
Brian Rochefort
Takuro Kuwata
Japanese artist Takuro Kuwata graduated from Kyoto Saga Art College, with a degree in Ceramics Arts in 2001 and has quickly become a worldwide ceramic phenomenon. His show at Salon 94 this past summer exposed an intensive new material exploration for the artist, exaggerating the material phenomenon of clay and glaze to a creepy, seductive place.
Taukuro Kuwata
Taukuro Kuwata
JJ PEET
Although he’s not a “potter” in the traditional sense, New York-Based artist JJ PEET uses the cup as a conceptual element in his diverse art practice. He deals with themes challenging consumerism and class systems through performance, video, and sculpture. 2015 brought two major acclaimed exhibitions, Satan Ceramics, at Solon 94, and Brain to Hand to Object, at Austin Contemporary.
“In ceramics, a thought or feeling goes from your brain or your gut, through your hands, and into the object. There is no interference, and that’s what I love about the material.” (JJ PEET)
JJ PEET
JJ PEET
Branan Mercer
With his minimalist-pop tea bowls and seductive dripping glaze, Branan Mercer his the talk of the contemporary pottery world. He caught our attention when his show at The Nevica Project (nearly) sold out long before the closing. He is currently working in Birmingham, Alabama and is represented by The Kiln Studio and Gallery, Red Dot Gallery, Northern Clay Center, and The Nevica Project.
Branan Mercer
Branan Mercer Contemporary Pottery
Kyle Carpenter
Kyle Carpenter is a studio potter in Asheville, North Carolina. He has worked there since 2002 refining his craft and successfully becoming a praised artist in the extremely competitive local and national pottery scenes. You can find his work in 2016 at Schaller Gallery, the St. Croix Pottery Tour, an Invitational exhibition at Asheville Arts Council, and at the Potters Market Invitational, or visit his studio and gallery in Asheville’s River Arts District.
Kyle Carpenter
Kyle Carpenter
Benjamin Cirgin
Benjamin Cirgin is a current MFA candidate at California College of the Arts who works in functional pottery, sculpture, and installation. We partnered with Cirgin for a pop-up shop earlier this month, which sold out in less than 24 hours.
“Inspiration for Electric Eve came from Cirgin’s father’s stories about late night fishing trips to a limestone quarry as a child. This series of cups, made with carved black clay, are an imagining of what his father’s experiences could have been like: the colorful lake at dusk, the limestone walls at night, the stillness, and the intimacy.” (Read More…)
Benjamin Cirgin
Benjamin Cirgin
Looking forward to contemporary ceramic art in 2016? Let us know in the comments.
How could you not include Mary Law in this list? Her work is amazing!
Can’t believe it is only man’s work showed here. It is unbelievable that even do there are more women working as ceramic artists, work shown here is only man’s. It is really problematic.
Well, at least two out of fifteen are women. Perhaps more balance in the future?
Well done
I am searching for any pottery done by Nancy Campbell. In 1984, at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, I invested in a piece.
Should you have any pieces by, information or photos on the ceramic pottery of JOEL EDWARDS (mid-century, California), please do contact or inform me. I’d be profoundly grateful. I am his nephew and godson. He passed away in March of this year at age 93.
My sister and I are collecting as many as we are so able. It is our intent to organize a large exhibition and catalogue and ultimately to leave them to a museum. Joel and I have for decades been putting together as many photos and details of his work from the late 1950’s on. (I’ve about three dozen of his works and my sister about 15 or so).
Joel Edwards (nee Epstein) was my mother’s youngest brother.
Thanks so much.
Mark Hall Amitin
Nice reading- very Interesting! II am seeking out a potter- probably throwing in the 1960/ 1970’s named B. Eagan – who glazed in mostly lime green / blues. Have you heard of him/ her – I could send a pix of my small. Vase if needed. Thank you,
Nice reading- very Interesting! II am seeking out a potter- probably throwing in the 1960/ 1970’s named B. Eagan – who glazed in mostly lime green / blues. Have you heard of him/ her – I could send a pix of my small. Vase if needed. Thank you, Lauren
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I am looking for Dan Ogburn a pottery artist who showed his beautiful platters at Art in the Vinyard in Eugene OR about 25 years ago.
Dan Ogburn past away in 1998.
I’m looking for info on a Dave Grossman frog planter 1977[pottery]. I found an image like it but with owls in the tub
Hello, I bought a vase with a pottery mark that I think looks like an H. If I sent a picture of the mark would you be able to tell me the potter. Thank you.
Capricorn pottery, Kingsville Ontario. A Woman potter , been in business since the 70s. Check out her Racu.
Thank you for sharing. What a beautiful collection. I enjoyed it very much, regardless of the gender and diversity of the artists. Actually the first time through, I didn’t even look at the artist names or locations. As a pottery fan, I was inspired by their creativity, and grateful for the experience.
Mo – I love the pictures in this set. You truly captured the moments in each of these. What a beuifatul family. Keep up the good work you are an amazing talent. I love your work!
Je pense qu’1h serait bien, voir 2. Mais j’avoue que 7j c’est abusé, dans se cas on prend les jeux intéressant (un par un bien sur) on y joue a fond, on le fini et hop remboursement, il faut pas abusé non plus.Et en même temps je pense que Google s’en fou, 35.000 euros, lol, il le gagne en 10 minutes…
I’m a Rams fan, and ask hoping that Bradford does work out… If not we missed out on the chance for a guy like RG3 this year.I wonder how Bradfords first years compare with others like Ryan, Eli, or Flacco even…VN:F [1.9.21_1169](from 0 votes)
Bu sene soÄŸuklar Balkanlar’a inerse Avrupa bırak son 300 yılın soÄŸuÄŸunu son 500 yılın en sıcak kışını yaÅŸar ki bana öyle olacak gibi geliyor. Mikdat hoca da her sene bu zamanlar çıkar böyle konuÅŸur.
Since when is art based on gender? I thought art was art. I’m not a critic or lover of art but know what I like and don’t care who made it
Maybe separate men and women art
Wow who noticed the artists were male or female? Get a grip ladies!!!! The best artists should be represented doesn’t matter the gender. We now need affirmative action for a pottery site???
Where are the truly great artist’s
This is about as interesting as a Jr Collage Ceramic Class.
Would like to see something really new and extraordinary.
Would like to see something really new and extraordinary. Where are the truly great artist’s
This is about as interesting as a Jr Collage Ceramic Class.
Then why don’t you make something
If you can’t find what you are looking for, then you aren’t looking hard enough.
I can only address the gender breakdown at Long Beach State Ceramic Arts over the years and from what I have observed in many visits to programs around the country and that is to say that it is conservatively a 60 // 40 split female to male. I suspect that it is a larger split than that. I can also say that in my opinion males do not make work that is more compelling than females, so knowing Garth & Mark I am left to assume that the jurying process was blind, in other words the judges had no idea who made what, just looked at the work. That type of process (if that is the system that was used) typically upsets folks and could easily produce results that heavily favor female potters the next time around. Hoping for the day when that no longer matters….but unfortunately it still does matter? At the end of the day these things are about the taste of the judges, both Garth & Mark (assuming they were the judges) have the bona fides for that.
Tony Marsh
Ceramic Arts CSU Long Beach
Thank You Tony.
How about Bianka Groves??
Why does the female/male proportion matter? I would be very against more women been included simply to equal out the numbers. I usually don’t even notice the sex of an artist when looking at the work.
Hey, maybe, just maybe there were only 2 women worth watching who applied. Shock horror. Maybe, just maybe.
Lots of interesting work, but I agree 2 women out of 14 seems a little under represented. Maybe less women applied. Good work being done. I recognized some, and learned of others.
Although i enjoyed seeing this collection of work, it is very frustrating that once again women are not equally represented. Please don’t do this again!
Seriously, only 2 women worth watching? I wonder about the selection process.
There are more women worth recognizing! What about the work of Bianka Groves?
Nice to see the range of works and the description of the practices
What a fun and interesting project. However would have liked to see what are the criteria used to select the 16 out of the thousand or so. Looking forward to seeing more.
Curious. I went through the artists, enjoyed their work and not once did I take note of male vs fem artists. In reading the responses I’d say we have no idea who threw their hats in the ring thus unable to comment on the results and certainly- CFILE, and vast majority of it’s readers, are above expletives left in comments.
I for one don’t need male or female artists thrown in the results to balance the sexes. Thank you for bringing us these artists and I look forward to those in the future. Who knows, maybe I’ll be one of them. (Female)
Glad I’m not the only one who looked at the work and not the gender. It would be far worse if work was chosen to give a 50/50 balance rather than just on quality.
I agree with some of the comments, I looked at the work, not the gender. I was impressed with some of the work that seemed to be different from previously seen pottery. I look at the talent, let that be the judge.
Artcelis like this make life so much simpler.
Finally, do we have to give so much publicity to this little bastard?The media WANTS more mass shootings as a way to demonize gun owners, cotrnsvaeives and white males in general.The media is now in an overt propaganda war against the Bill of Rights. A lot of guys don't understand how the media has changed because they've stopped watching TV shows and buying newspapers etc. Watch the morning network infotainment then the chat shows then the evening news then some reality shows. It's a drumbeat of demonization.
I’m really enjoying your blog – you have such a unique, but achievable style! There are definitely items I would like to copy the look of anyway….and Georgie is super cute!
Wow, thanks for the personal insights.I’ve never been in a game design course, no studio, but wouldn’t have suspected that level of… well.. “dicketry”!Makes me ashamed to share a Y chromosome with them.Well done, on a guysy piece.
Nice to see potters I recognize, and learn of others with whom I’m not familiar. Though I appreciate the cultural diversity, I was also struck and disappointed to see only two women chosen.
I’m surprised not to see Christie Goodfellow featured from cgceramics.net
Seems like all the usual suspects per usual…..
Seems to be a lack if female talent. All these potters are really interesting, but out of 1100 submissions there was only two women worth noting?
I think all this work is outstanding. However only TWO are women. What the F??
Quite a list. No women potters worth watching?
Great work and the variety is refreshing. Well done C-File.
Only 2 women?!
Really great artists. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this group. There are some artists who’s work I didn’t know and who’s work needs to be in my home soon.