S A R A H G E R M A N CERAMICS
Artist Statement
My work is an exploration in function, form, texture, and color. My experience in ceramics, sculpture, and
printmaking has led me to my current work. I create functional pottery that is primarily wheel-thrown and
often altered to its finished form.
The work is decorated using ceramic underglazes and an indirect screen-printing process. Occasionally
the imagery used in my decoration is subject based, but most often it is a repetitive pattern used as
two-dimensional texture. Additionally, I have been exploring the use of three-dimensional texture in the
surface of the clay.
There are a couple of factors that lead to my use of a porcelain clay body. The first relates to the
functionality of the piece. Much of my work is dinnerware, and the smoothness of the porcelain allows for a
satisfying experience when touching the piece with the hands, mouth, or utensils. The porcelain body also
provides a clean white background to place my imagery and allows for my colorful glazes to reach their full
intensity. Due to the need to see the imagery with which I decorate my pieces, I use mostly transparent
and translucent glazes in combination with an opaque black glaze. The work is fired in an oxidation
atmosphere in an electric kiln.
Click here to see the process I use to screen-print on clay.
My work is an exploration in function, form, texture, and color. My experience in ceramics, sculpture, and
printmaking has led me to my current work. I create functional pottery that is primarily wheel-thrown and
often altered to its finished form.
The work is decorated using ceramic underglazes and an indirect screen-printing process. Occasionally
the imagery used in my decoration is subject based, but most often it is a repetitive pattern used as
two-dimensional texture. Additionally, I have been exploring the use of three-dimensional texture in the
surface of the clay.
There are a couple of factors that lead to my use of a porcelain clay body. The first relates to the
functionality of the piece. Much of my work is dinnerware, and the smoothness of the porcelain allows for a
satisfying experience when touching the piece with the hands, mouth, or utensils. The porcelain body also
provides a clean white background to place my imagery and allows for my colorful glazes to reach their full
intensity. Due to the need to see the imagery with which I decorate my pieces, I use mostly transparent
and translucent glazes in combination with an opaque black glaze. The work is fired in an oxidation
atmosphere in an electric kiln.
Click here to see the process I use to screen-print on clay.
Artist Biography
I was born in 1984 and grew up in Ankeny, Iowa. I earned an Art: Studio degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006 with emphases in
ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking. It is the combination of these mediums that led me to my current work. Since college I have been working
as a part-time studio potter where I produce work for galleries, art festivals, and exhibitions. I currently reside in Austin, Texas.
I was born in 1984 and grew up in Ankeny, Iowa. I earned an Art: Studio degree from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006 with emphases in
ceramics, sculpture, and printmaking. It is the combination of these mediums that led me to my current work. Since college I have been working
as a part-time studio potter where I produce work for galleries, art festivals, and exhibitions. I currently reside in Austin, Texas.
Click here to download a word version of my Curriculum Vitae
