Larry Downing
North Carolina

Ceramic, marble, and metal
Non-functional
12"w x 7"l x 33"h

Pick up only, shipping not available

About the Teapot
The inspiration for this teapot stack is nautical. The swirling, turbulent waters transform the teapot into a true “tempest in a teapot.” The colorful forms below are based on floats we found along the rocky shores of Maine, each marked with a pattern unique to a fishing family. I’ve always loved this nod to the deep connection between nature and sustenance, and I like imagining a family designing and painting their floats to identify their catch from nets or traps. The Tempest has also long been one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, making the title feel especially fitting.

About the Artist
Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Downing graduated from UNC–Chapel Hill with a BFA in sculpture and additional coursework in English and psychology. He has taught art for more than thirty years in Durham, including at Durham School of the Arts and the Durham Arts Council. His connection to clay began in childhood, making clay apples with stick stems in a neighbor’s stream.

Artist Statement
Clay has always fascinated and challenged me. It is such a basic material. Clay is both free and temperamental, formless, yet loaded with potential. It holds the stories of our ancestors but is fragile and easily destroyed. The scrap piles and shards speak through the generations. I find clay a great teaching material, full of life lessons, self-correcting in its limitations and possibilities.

*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.