I grew up in Montreal and moved to Toronto to attend Ontario College of Art (now OCADU). By the time I graduated, I'd made attachments, so I stayed in Toronto and set up a studio.
I love using well-designed and well-made ware, and so I love to make things others will love using, too. It really warms my heart to hear, "Your cup is my favourite! I use it every day!".
I have an on-going affair with porcelain, which, although it can be a difficult material to work with, rewards me with its silky surface, its ability to capture fine detail, and its almost luminescent quality. Because porcelain fires very hard, my delicate functional ware is also very durable.
These qualities work well in my sculptural work, too, where I use the very white material to capture textures and mimic natural forms, juxtaposing them with non-clay materials and objects. Lately I've started to bring stoneware back into my practice; a material with more texture and colour that defies me to be too precious.
My work over the years has included private and corporate commissions, is in the collection of Scotiabank and has been purchased by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. One of my pieces is represented in the book Great Soup Empty Bowls, produced by the Gardiner Museum.
As well as working in my own studio I teach pottery to adults and children. I conduct workshops and enjoy doing projects with students in secondary and elementary schools.
Here's a video of me talking about making my mixed-media pieces:
Video by Andrew Brown for Art Tour Collective