ARTIST STATEMENT

Kristin DeSmith

What’s meaningful for me in making art is the power it has to evoke emotion. As a formally trained poet, I learned that emotionally connecting with the reader is essential for a poem’s success. I think the same is true for ceramics. I approach each piece with the same intention: connection through emotional discovery for both the maker and the user.

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Exploring the themes of grief and vulnerability, my work brings forward the dualities of light/dark, good/evil, hope/despair, love/heartbreak, and ultimately seeks to find beauty in the midst of those dualities. 

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I am inspired by Alaska’s ecosystem and the Japanese art of kintsugi. The underlying philosophy of kintsugi celebrates the flawed, cracked, and broken by transforming an imperfection into something unique and beautiful. Many of my pieces have been “mended” with gold, either by design or to heal a wound of its making.

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I am a storyteller who works in porcelain, both hand built and wheel thrown ceramics. I combine decorative techniques such as surface carving, mishima, stamping and texturizing. My work is fired in an electric kiln to cone 5.

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In 2019, I received an Individual Artist Award from the Rasmuson Foundation to complete Evolution: Three. My work has been featured in exhibits at the University of Alaska Anchorage, the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, and Georgia Blue Gallery. 

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Photo credit: Cynthia White