Who, Why & Where

I want to make work with character.

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-Handmade, one of a kind objects, attempting to reflect what I value in a thing and how it was made.  The practice and the product are inherently joined, and perhaps no art form has the same potential as ceramics to carry the "soul" of its maker. 

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Ceramic objects should arouse interest, generate inquiry and "carry energy." A person may fall in love with a small cup in a room full of ceramics, nevertheless that little piece winks at them through the noise. Even a small ceramic object can hold a room in much the same way as music does.  -A lifelong goal to be sure.

 

Through 2019 I worked as Jeff Shapiro's sole apprentice. I learned about wood-firing several types of kilns and gained much technical knowledge applicable to Jeff's practices. Less tangible matters are also part of such a relationship, and I will be working forever to realize certain lessons.

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My work refers to my childhood in Japan, ceramics training in high school, my apprenticeship and years of life and travel in Korea and throughout South East Asia. I am continuously observing my environment and find inspiration in the many vessels created by nature: seeds, nests, stones, pods, ponds, tree hollows, insect creations and anything else that makes me peek inside.

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I currently live and work in Columbia County, NY, in the beautiful and ever-changing Hudson River Valley. Firing and working under Andrew Sartorius at the Oki Doki Studio in Germantown, NY. 

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-Matt Raue Nov. 2020

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