Deborah Harris
North Carolina

Wheel-thrown Porcelain with Sgrafitto Carving, Traditional Chinese Celadon Glaze
Functional
9"w x 5"d x 5.5"h

Artist Statement
Handcrafted pottery serves as an intimate connection between the user and the artist. Objects handled during everyday routines become familiar and comfortable. My hope is that every piece I create will be utilized and enjoyed.
Early use of porcelain dates back to the 12th century Song Dynasty. The beauty of the black and white ware and the celadon glazes from the Cizhou kilns of this period have been a strong influence. The designs express the natural and mythical world with insects, plants, and dragons, which are a rich source of inspiration and motivation. The use of Ginkgo leaves also draws on historical references. The Ginkgo tree symbolizes strength and longevity and is considered a living fossil as one of the oldest tree forms. In addition to their endurance over millennia, Ginkgos survived the devastating atomic bombings of WW II. This has me considering – where will the shards of my pots be in 1,000 years? I wonder with every tea bowl I throw.

About Deborah
The majority of my work is wheel-thrown porcelain. The pots are decorated by brushing black slip onto the leather hard clay and then carved with a variety of tools. This sgraffito technique adds subtle texture exposing the raw white porcelain. The celadon glaze used on many of these pieces gets the soft blue/green color from trace amounts of iron in the formula. After firing, porcelain becomes translucent to light and rings when gently tapped. These unique properties drew me to work almost exclusively with this clay body.

*Teapots that are sold must remain on display in the gallery as part of the exhibit until the show closes on September 10, 2020.  After the show closes, teapots will be carefully packed and shipped by September 26 or available for pick-up at the gallery.