Jim Kraft
The true patina of Kraft’s clay earthenware.
“I would like to think of my work and the act of making it as a connection to past cultures, who used the same clay materials to make vessels for ceremony and for everyday use. I like the idea of being a part of the long history of people making things with their hands.”
From hand-built vessels to sculpture, Jim Kraft sculpts a myriad of clay earthenware. From his home studio in Washington, the artist imagines wares that are organic and elegant.
Intricacies in color, form, and texture invite the eye to ponder at objects that could easily identify as an ancient treasure, belonging in a coveted collection to any prominent museum around the world.
Multi-dimensional lattices are soundly built, layer by layer. Cylinder portions become nearly woven or ligneous. Undulating forms that ripple to the outer lips of his vessels become more reminiscent of the flow of tapestry rather than any ceramic fragility. Applauded crevices and cracks in these subtle surfaces are a triumphant nod to the hand while remaining a sophisticated and genteel statement in space.
Prized relics are born out of contemporary design. In its soft eccentricity, in its complex body and patina, Kraft creates signature works of art that not only serve as exemplary pieces in space but work that continually tempts the body and soul.