Kelli Sinner

My work is about unessential essentials, those “extra” objects and ideas that bring intrigue and joy into our lives. Functional pots serve this purpose with their intimate roles in our lives everyday. My work is about remembering to take the time to experience and celebrate life.

The way I touch clay is about exploiting the moment: when clay is soft and malleable, completely full of potential. The firing process then freezes this moment and clay becomes a metaphor for memory. Many of the objects I make have historical meanings. These meanings, drawn from the past, combine with clay’s long history to create a new context in which my functional artifacts exist. In 2004, a clay candy dish won’t likely be used to serve the butter mints your grandmother presented, but as an object it is still a powerful reminder of the past. Ceramic purses, quilts, vases, and pots serve as promptings, directing us to enjoy the present while being cognizant of the past.

I am intrigued by Victorian America, where a well decorated home was considered a positive moral statement. I am interested in all aspects of interior design, how color, furniture, fabric and objects can affect our moods and influence how we spend our time. I descend from talented women who had the skill to produce fine crafts. For this reason women’s roles have always influenced me. I grew up sewing, and fabric, with its tactility, texture, color, and pattern, heavily influence the way I approach clay. A deep love of materials and all things hand made gives my clay work passion, by helping me appreciate and exploit its unique qualities. I believe I can bring something new to traditionally feminine objects because not only do I appreciate their history, but bring to them a reflection of post millennium society. Pots become functional artifacts for our time, and a physical embodiment of memory.

I use porcelain because its inherent softness is both intimately inviting and customarily formal. White clay pots advocate using the “good” dishes every day. My pots are touched, stamped, altered, and decorated in ways that celebrate human touch. Touch reflects the thrill of living and the connectedness of the body with the mind.

If you use one of my rope stamped, quilt pattern inspired bowls for your morning oatmeal, it is my intent that you will become more aware of how the food looks, how it tastes, the sensation of touch as you hold and wash the bowl. Using an item made by another person’s hands expands this daily breakfast moment into an occasion that is uniquely different from breakfast with a manufactured bowl. Eating becomes not only about food, but is also about time, and our role in it. I am a maker, who, on some level recognizes a moral obligation in what I do. I make pots that brighten people’s surroundings, by encouraging awareness and joy, and which serve as reminders of the importance of memory and touch.