Ceramics as a vessel for story

Clay and vessel have always been inextricably entwinned. The default focus on this relationship tends to fall on ceramic as a container for food, for liquid, for nourishment, and for beauty. But it can also be a container for story. A vessel for myth, for folklore, for history, and for world-building. Clay has the capacity to contain nourishment for the mind, and the imagination. Its ability to hold narrative offers opportunity for retelling the past, escaping the present, and imagining new futures. Clay can hold entire universes.

Bio

Stefanie Smith is a ceramic artist from Canada, with something of a wandering spirit. She has been based in Newfoundland, Ontario, Alberta, and currently Wales, and has participated in artist residencies around the world.

Stefanie’s work moves and evolves as much as her place of residence does. While her first clay home was with hand-built pottery, she is now setting down roots in the world of sculpture. Presently her focus is on figuration, the power of play, and the creation and interpretation of story.

Through all of her journeys through form and process, some elements travel with her: a passion for ornament, and a draw towards the natural world. Afterall, no matter how far you travel, you always carry something of the past with you.