Artist Statement

Jim Edelen

My creations in clay physically capture my ideas and embody my creative energy through variations in the form, volume and surface of my art. I then entrust my artistic efforts to the grace and randomness of the wood-fire process. My knowledge of wood-firing allows me to adorn my pottery with natural beauty.

I test the physical limits of clay by forming and stretching it in order to create vessels that capture space, create visual tension, and fight gravity. My vessels explore relationships between clay composition and the material limits of ceramic construction. By applying imagination and problem solving techniques, these challenges continually create new opportunities for me to express myself through clay.

For the past fifteen years I have designed, built and fired wood kilns across the Midwest. Passion for clay and fire has impacted every aspect of my life and continues to shape the decisions that I make. In devotion to this process of creation, the ceramic vessel has become the hallmark of my personal journey.