Lanny Bergner
Washington

Stainless steel mesh, coated copper wire, acrylic medium, glass frit
Non-functional
10.75"w x 9.75"l x 12.5"h

About the Teapot
Tea Nebula is made from flame-painted stainless-steel mesh with geometric, pigment-infused golden bands, topped with a single orange glass frit sphere. The mesh panels are connected by twisting their frayed wire edges together, bending them over, and embellishing the seams with hand-stitched wire. Inside the teapot, loosely gathered black and bronze wires form a cloud-like mass, while dots burned into the exterior evoke the stars, particles, and dust of an interstellar sky.
This work is inspired by the lush diversity of nature I encounter in the Pacific Northwest—verdant woodlands, a rich marine biosphere, and star-filled celestial skies. These environments enliven my contemplation of mystery and wonder, bringing the cosmos and the natural world into dialogue with a humble teapot.

About the Artist
Lanny Bergner is a mixed‑media sculptor known for transforming industrial stainless steel and copper mesh into intricate biomorphic forms. Working from his studio on Fidalgo Island since 1983, he flame‑paints, hand‑models, and meticulously stitches mesh into semi‑transparent sculptures inspired by plant biology, undersea life, cellular structures, geology, and cosmology.
Bergner holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, and a BFA from the University of Washington. His work is represented in major museum collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Fuller Craft Museum, and the Central Museum of Textile in Łódź, Poland.
He has received numerous honors, including the Betty Bowen Memorial Award (1995) and a Gold Prize at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale (2005). In 2023, five of his sculptures were featured in Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, a traveling exhibition that will appear at the Brooklyn Museum from May 16–December 6, 2026.
Bergner has also taught workshops across the United States and internationally, including programs in Australia and at National Basketry Organization conferences.

*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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Lanny Bergner - Tea Nebula