Thomas Harris

"I love beginning with a functional shape, then altering and decorating it to the point of questioning its functionality. "

Ceramic artist Thomas Harris works with traditional functional shapes, such as bowls, cups, and vases, and alters them to create unique sculptural forms. He focuses on contrasts in shape, color, and texture: circular/angular, bright/subdued, glossy/matte, rough/smooth.

Harris throws functional shapes on the wheel, then cuts and alters them by adding, folding, and pushing the clay to create functional and sculptural forms. He uses a variety of techniques to decorate the surface, including masking, water abrasion, and layering underglazes that are then sanded.

Harris earned a BFA in ceramics from Northern Arizona University, then went on to receive a master?s degree from the University of Arizona. He studied ceramics at Indiana University, working with Chris Boger, Malcom Mobutu Smith, Tim Mather, Amy Noorgard, and Matt Repsher. He currently has a ceramics studio in Bloomington, IN.

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Selected Exhibitions & Awards
Contemporary Colors, Kavanagh Gallery, St Charles, Illinois, 2024
ACE- American Craft Exhibition, Evanston Illinois, 2022
Strictly Functional Pottery National- Best Altered Ceramic, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster,PA, 2023
Uptown Art Fair -Best Of Show, Minneapolis,MN, 2022
Award of Merit: Botanical Abundance National Ceramic Exhibition, McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga , CA, 2021
Strictly Functional Pottery National, Lancaster Museum of Art, 2021-23
Where The Wild Things Are, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula Mt, 2021
Endless Cup, Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas NV, 2021
Artisphere, Greenville, SC, 2021-22
Philadephia Museum of Art Craft Show- Best of Category (Ceramic), Philadephia Convention Center, Philadephia, PA, 2023