Crewel Verve, 2022 - Leah Kaplan

Retail Value $2250

Porcelain, Dimensions 7.5 x 8 x 11.5

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Donated by Leah Kaplan

Artist Statement

To maintain dynamism in my studio practice, I am continually experimenting with new hand-building techniques. But my chosen material, porcelain, remains a constant. Its whiteness, plasticity and translucency hold an enduring allure for me. Its transformation from malleable material to vitrified form always awes and surprises me.

My vessel-making is an iterative process, driven by intent and intuition. Each hand-building technique has its own particular rhythm and feel, altering how I experience and interact with a piece. Some methods require meticulousness; others are fast and loose. Some techniques demand absolute focus, like a high wire act; others allow my mind to drift and my hands to take over. From this conversation, my forms emerge - a material expression of tension and balance amidst competing impulses.

Bio

Leah Kaplan has been working in clay for 30 years, honing her skills in studios and schools in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. In 2018, Leah renovated space in a converted 19th century glass factory from which she launched her full time practice. Her eclectic career path to ceramics included promoting New York City designers, as well as safeguarding indigenous craft traditions. In the latter job, Leah was fortunate to meet gifted artisans, engaged in every conceivable medium, whose work continues to inform her own. Leah's vessels have been shown in internationally juried shows across the United States.

Beyond her studio practice, Leah devotes time to The Clay Studio, a national nonprofit arts organization, on whose board she serves.

Born in Kansas City and raised in Minnesota, Leah lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.