"It's about respecting a long tradition of craftsmen before me and discovering my own voice." - Kyle Carpenter

"Three Storage Jars" by Kyle Carpenter, Stoneware, 15x8in approx, 2017, POR — "Three Storage Jars" by Kyle Carpenter, Stoneware, 15x8in approx, 2017, POR

Kyle Carpenter is a full-time studio potter with over 15 years experience in the ceramic arts. Building his skills in the tradition of folk and contemporary North Carolina potters, he combines a unique talent for illustration with the making of three-dimensional forms. Utility and beauty go hand in hand in bringing together both literal and abstract imagery, inviting the eye to relate the design and form of the pot. His goal is to create an evolving body of high quality pottery in his studio while, at a broader level, promoting the tradition of fine ceramic arts, particularly that of Western North Carolina.

"Storage Jar" by Kyle Carpenter, Stoneware, 8x8in, 2017, POR

“As a studio potter, I work diligently to make well-crafted wares for everyday people. It's seemingly less about the ‘ritual of the table’ and more about respecting a long tradition of craftsmen before me and discovering my own voice. As a contemporary potter, I often look to past traditions for inspiration. I'm interested in folk pottery of different origins. My native state of North Carolina offers a deep well of talented potters, both folk and contemporary, to look towards for inspiration.”

“Simplicity in form offers a broad surface for me to embellish with lines, patterns, and drawings. Before I was introduced to the ceramic arts, I did a fair amount of illustration before and during art school. The combination of three-dimensional forms and two-dimensional drawings was a natural fusion of both my love drawing and pottery, art and craft. It is my intention to bring together clear and abstract markings to engage the viewer to look closely at how design relates to the form of the pot.”

Carpenter will be participating in the first Southern Crossings Pottery Festival (SXPF). SXPF will take place March 2 & 3, 2018 at Copper & Kings in the Butchertown neighborhood of Louisville. The event will showcase potters in the Ohio River Region, including Lexington, Cincinnati, and more. The festival will also include the Empty Bowls Benefit Dinner @PLAY Louisville on March 3, 2018.

Also in March, Carpenter will be a part of Whorled, a Group Exhibition at the Schaller Gallery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and later, he will be in the St.Croix Valley Pottery Tour, May 11, 12, 13 in North Branch, Minnesota.

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Education: BFA Ceramics, UNC-Asheville, Asheville, NC, 2000
Website: carpenterpottery.com
Instagram: @kylecarpenterpottery
Gallery Representation: Schaller Gallery (St. Joseph