Hijacked Ceramics

My co-worker and friend, Nate Murrell, is an amazing potter. As much as he loves cutting book cloth, sewing, and doing all the shipping in the studio, his talent as an artisan and sculptor blow me away. Last weekend his studio building hosted a great open house and I was able to see where he makes the ceramic magic happen!


































The process that creates these vibrant layers of color and texture is time consuming and laborious. I appreciate this as a textile artist which often involves painstaking attention to detail. It's also really interesting how he uses Indian woodblocks to create impressions in his clay - the same blocks used in traditional Indian textile printing. I bought a beautiful tumbler at the sale and it's whet my appetite for more. You can buy Nate's amazing pottery on Etsy as HijackedCeramics. Check him out!
hijackedceramics.etsy.com
hijackedceramics.blogspot.com

While visiting his studio, I was completely surprised to see Nate's striking sculptures. In this recent body of work, puppet-like figures are mounted in shadow-box frames that Nate finds from classic sculptor sources - garbage dumpsters and thrift stores. My favorite piece had sequins and beading and a quiet yet strong presence. I could definitely imagine having one of his pieces in my house! Our other co-worker, the talented illustrator Jeff, is having a Sistine Chapel moment with one of Nate's thought-provoking works.