Camilla AscherBaltimore, Maryland

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My goal is to create elegant, bold, and well-designed functional wares that give the user a sense of enjoyment and comfort. As people use my pots, I hope they are drawn to the attention to detail, the weight of the pot in their hands, the contrast between different textures, and the clean patterns.

Glazing is an important part of my process and brings me great pleasure. I have always been drawn to patterns and contrasting textures that inspire curiosity. By leaving a small area of bare clay exposed next to a smooth glazed surface, I'm creating a tactile experience that generates a sense of intimacy. I then use the quiet areas around my pots to give their users a place to rest.

The relationship between form and surface pattern reminds me of wearing clothing. Textiles are important to my family and are often what inspire me. My great-aunt and uncle were successful textile designers who worked with famous artists, and I grew up idolizing their work. They showed me how the pattern on clothing can change a form. I see my pots as having bodies, I highlight their soft curves with quiet but powerful patterns.


BIOGRAPHY:

Camilla Ascher is a potter from Natick Massachusetts who currently resides in Baltimore Maryland. She graduated in 2012 with a BFA in Art Education from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Camilla has completed artist residencies in Taiwan at Tainan University of the Arts and in Truro Massachusetts at Truro Center for the Arts Castlehill. Camilla is currently the Resident Ceramic Chair at Chesapeake Art Center in Brooklyn Park, Maryland.