MICHELLE WILLIAMS
ARTIST STATEMENT
For more than a decade I have worked exclusively in porcelain, delving into its unique material properties. Whether slipcast, wheel-thrown, or hand-built, my work is an homage to the translucence, unexpected durability, and extraordinary tactile qualities of the clay.
I leave the exterior of my work bare, using only clear glaze inside functional pieces to enhance their utility. My work is meticulously hand-sanded with an increasingly fine series of diamond sanding pads to yield a sensual, nearly skin-like quality to the finished pieces. I want people to enjoy holding them and touching them, rather than treating them purely as objects of contemplation.
My functional pieces – tumblers, bowls, and vases – are often slip cast, allowing the introduction of swirled patterns of slip that capture the movement and process of their creation. As my work has developed, I have moved away from washes of complex swirls toward a much more graphic aesthetic, often with a single burst of color punctuating the smooth white exterior, like a single streak of ink on a white page.
If my slipcast pieces capture an instant of movement and pouring, the carved work is its opposite. Through slow, deliberate strokes I carve a repeating, undulating pattern in the clay. Working with multiple tools I refine the grooves in the clay until all bumps and scrapes are removed, and the lines are as clean and smooth as possible, like waves on the ocean or etchings of wind and weather in a rock face.
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