Spotted | Size Matters, Ceramic Curio, Serpentine Vessels and more!

Welcome back to Spotted, our weekly showcase of our favorite works from the worlds of contemporary ceramic art and contemporary ceramics. We want to jump right in featuring work from an artist whose work is as stunning as it is tiny.

Above image: Maren Kloppmann, Wall Pillows Blue Square 1, 2016, Glazed porcelain, 36 x 38 x 5 1/2 inches. Offered by Hostler Burrows.

Jon Almeda

Cleverly self-aware proclaiming “size matters,” Jon Almeda is a ceramic artist located in Tacoma, Washington. In creating his miniature ceramics, Almeda draws inspiration from the ever-changing cloud formations in the sky and the movement of the tides. Almeda’s practice is a response to the colors, energies, textures and composition of his life; the calm cool dark waters and tall evergreens of the Pacific Northwest and the luscious flora and textures of the ocean in his home-state of Hawaii.

In response to his love of nature he created his own small portable pottery wheel to take out on location to create pieces outside in the open air, otherwise know as Plein Air Pottery.

Explore more Cfile reflections on Almeda’s work.

Erika Verzutti

Check out more of Verzutti’s work.

Park Sung Wook 

Korean ceramist Park Sung Wook learned at a young age that he enjoyed forming and creating things with his hands. His stunningly simple hand formed ‘small batch’ teapots and mugs consist of a neutral palette.

Mara Superior

Mara Superior’s The Pursuit of Happiness sheds light on the principles of democracy.

Jeffry Mitchell

See more of Cfile’s musings on Seattle-based artist Jeffry Mitchell.

Michael Boroniec

See more of Michael Boroniec’s work on his artist page.

Lucinda Mudge

This extraordinary example of Lucinda Mudge’s work was spotted at the Cape Town Art Fair 2017 (February 17 – February 19, 2017). Mudge’s striking vases captivate the eye with their rich colors and intricate detail. Yet beneath their glimmering surfaces is a familiar world simmering with paranoia and tension.

This range of contemporary and historical sources merges to present a complex narrative familiar to many South Africans. Using hand­ mixed glazes and stains, and produced painstakingly slowly over the period of a full year, each piece is as unique as the narrative it tells. Themes, images and text are constantly repeated and reshuffled, embodying in their very fabric humanity’s ability to carry contradictory impulses simultaneously.

Do you love or loathe this week’s selections from the worlds of contemporary ceramic art and contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments.