Abby Callaghan

Bio

Abby Callaghan was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Her childhood was spent exploring the woods and riverbank near her home, which included the remnants of a brick factory and other abandoned equipment that inspires much of her work. She received her BFA in Ceramics and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2017 and her MAT from the University of Central Missouri in 2019. Abby is currently a resident of Kansas City where she teaches art full time and is the Education Chair at the Kansas City Clay Guild.

Artist Statement

I find a peculiar beauty and serenity in the idea of vacancy. A world devoid of people, including myself. The quiet, tranquility, and unabashed honesty of existence without the pressure of observance. Inspired by the unassuming, yet assured utilitarian aesthetics of Brutalism, I would like to indulge in a surreal version of a post-apocalyptic dream. Buildings and objects are left unexplained. Events have become mystery and have settled into a comfortable peace. I like to reference the man-made to specifically note the absence of their makers and to create functional objects as artifacts of this unrealistic dimension.