50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires: Elaine Olafson Henry

September 16, 2022 - January 7, 2023

at Belger Crane Yard Studio
2011 Tracy Avenue Kansas City, MO, 64108

50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires, includes 50 porcelain bowls made by artist Elaine Olafson Henry. Each thrown bowl was made using the same amount of clay from the same clay block, the same building and shaping process, and the same glaze. Curious about the effects of firing circumstances in different environments, Henry sent a bowl to a ceramist in each of the 50 states to be woodfired. The resulting bowls are products of the types of wood and variety of kilns used (Anagama, Arch, Bourry Box, Noborigama, Tube, and Train), the length of firing, and temperature reached. Henry explains “...like the human story [where] we all start out as a blank slate...it’s what happens to the bowl in its lifetime that changes it. Each bowl tells a story of what it went through.” The bowls will be presented with technical details, including names of wood firing team members, providing insights into each collaboration and the various nuances acquired during the firing process.