Dishes hold the potential for human connection through their tactile nature. They live in our physical space, in our kitchen cabinets, are used every day. They have a relationship to the body, we pick them up and even touch them to our mouths. Dishes speak of history and lineage, passed down from mother to daughter, connected to family dinners, celebrations and sharing. They are a reminder of the warmth and comfort found in domestic spaces. I carve, draw and paint on these forms, often firing each dish three or four times to create surfaces that contain many layers. I am inventing imagery as well as taking from nature, mixing styles and time periods to make my own pattern language. Working dimensionally allows me to explore form and surface. Edges frill upwards and outwards extending into space. Elusive in their revelation of meaning, these dishes must be viewed from many angles to be understood, picked up and turned-over to be fully realized as they change with every turn.

Biography

Naomi Cleary received an MFA in 2007 from The Ohio State University and BFA from The University of the Arts. Returning to Philadelphia in early 2008 to work as a full time studio artist. Naomi has spent a summer at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and has twice participated in residencies at The Belden Brick Factory. She has taught hand building and throwing to children and adults in classroom and workshop settings. Naomi is currently teaching at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia.