Stephanie’s work is the convergence of two worlds. The delicate, fine medium of porcelain is combined with the rugged, imprecision of hand throwing. Porcelain often lives in a world of China cabinets, high shelves, put on display but rarely touched. Hand throwing is known for it’s earthiness and functionality. It’s the piece you see on the table that we use in our daily lives. Stephanie’s work seamlessly blends these two. Her work reminds us that art, like people, contain multitudes.
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FROM STEPHANIE: I’m a born and raised Vermont girl through and through. I was raised in a rural part of Vermont where we grew & canned our own food, bought milk from the farm down the road and raised and killed our own chickens. I loved it.
However, I never quite fully fit in. My 5 year-old self preferred to wear her patent leather shoes and frilly dresses while digging in the dirt in the garden. I took off for the city the first chance I got. I loved the hustle & bustle, the “fancy” of it all. And yet, I still never quite fully fit in.
After 20 years as a contemporary art dealer in the city and a subsequent move back to Vermont, I learned to stop trying.
I was drawn to art because of its powerful ability to connect people. The artists I met along the way taught me how to see the world through many lenses.
Creating is an expression of what it means to be human.
Everything has an energy. That energy transcends time and space. It is in the materials, transferred to my hands and back again into the objects I create.
I pursue making in search of meaning and as a means for creating connection.
My hope is that I can create every day objects that elevate our ordinary experiences. Work that doesn’t easily fit in boxes (figuratively of course!) and breaks down barriers, broadens our definitions and crosses boundaries…
Like fine porcelain on an old beat up farm table.
Like the cashmere and carhartts I wear most days in the studio.
#beautymatters
Read More About Stephanie: New England Living Feature
Follow Her on IG: @stephaniegraceceramics
