Kate Marotz
Wisconsin

Stoneware, glaze, terra sigillata
Functional
7.5"w x 4.25"l x 8.25"h

About the Artist
Kate grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin, before attending UW-Stout, where she earned a BFA with an emphasis in Ceramics and a BS in Art Education. Post-graduation, she switched from throwing to hand-building and from porcelain to stoneware. Kate currently lives in Marshfield, WI, where she works full-time in her home studio. Her pinch pots combine sculptural qualities with functional objects and preserve the hand-building process on the finished terra sigillata surfaces. Bones, seed pods, chrysalides, and other natural vessels provide inspiration for these objects.

Artist Statement
The role of ceramic pots in daily life serves as a source of inspiration in my continued exploration of functional ware.
I make functional stoneware pots that formally draw from rural Wisconsin’s cocoons/chrysalides, bones, and seed pods. On long walks in Wisconsin’s landscape, I find joy in the smaller details of the land: stones, wildflowers, birds' nests, and tree bark become focal points of my excursions. Incorporating these surfaces, forms, and patterns in my work is my invitation to join me in the intimate moment of discovery.
I use a coil-and-pinch technique to highlight joinery and to record the interaction between fingers and pliable clay. Stacked concave curves evolve into rhythmic forms with handles that reinforce the illusion of accordion-like compression. I am interested in the volume and negative space created by the repetition of these curves as well as the interplay created when multiple pieces are in proximity to one another. Every vantage point of each piece reveals information, rewarding the investigative user.
My terra sigillata color palette is one of wildflowers, animal bones, leaves, and stones. Subtle and distinct color shifts encourage closer inspection, consideration, and reflection. Simple patterns disrupt the visual appearance of the forms, maintaining their paths and remaining unaffected by the form's undulations. Borax washes add quiet, patterned layers and bone-like speckling. The care and thoughtfulness invested in creation is a celebration of my genuine interest in the details of daily life.

*Teapots that are purchased will remain on display in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition, through September 14, 2026.
After the show closes, teapots will be carefully packed and shipped by September 28, or they may be picked up at the gallery.

National Teapot Show XIII

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Kate Marotz - Ochre Yellow Teapot