Liz Pechacek holds a BA in Art History and a BFA in Ceramics from Indiana University. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts' Friends of Arrowmont Scholarship, the Robert M. MacNamara Foundation's Artist Residency, and American Craft Council's Hip Pop Emerging Artist Award. Pechacek's work is concerned with the making of meaningful objects, focusing on the burst of energy when finding a new form and the obsession required to winnow that shape into perfection. She believes that if her explorations lead to making something that is noticed by someone else, then her pieces can truly be of use. Pechacek currently lives and maintains a studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Liz first fell in love with pottery as a kid - mainly Acoma and Mata Ortiz pottery which her mom collected. Liz says, "I loved those smooth, impossibly perfect forms with their dense line work and intense human spirit. I didn't start seriously making work until I got to college. Those early loves still have a huge impact on me."
From Liz: "My work is a balance between clean, modern form and dense, delicate surface. The process of building the pots with coils, then pinching and refining the profile slowly and deliberately leaves a subtle static texture that I love. The layers of shapes, pattern and colors are then used to complement and contrast the three-dimensional shape. My goal is to create something that has a kind of vibration and breath."
$300
