Andrew Gilliatt

Bio

Andrew Gilliatt grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Tech in 2003 and an MFA in Ceramics from Louisiana State University in 2011. He has been a Resident Artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT, Red Lodge Clay Center, and Red Star Studios in Kansas City, MO. His work is exhibited in galleries and museums nationwide and has been showcased in American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, and Pottery Making Illustrated. He is currently a full-time Professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. You can see more of his work at www.andrewgilliatt.com.

Artist Statement

I design and fabricate objects for domestic use.

Through color, imagery, and form, I hope to create pots that are expressive and inviting.

I am fascinated by how we personalize and define ourselves through the objects we use and accumulate. The clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the things we decorate and furnish our homes with - all of these objects reflect our personality and aesthetic proclivities both publicly and privately.

I am interested in the phenomenon of how we look and shop for objects. Once the requirements of fit, occasion, and agency have all been established, (a size 11 running shoe that wears comfortably, for example), to what degree are we further attracted to the point of purchase? Is it the pattern of the shirt, the cut of the dress, or the color of the phone that makes us want to own that object? Or is it simply a matter of cost and convenience?

Making work is a way for me to reflect on the people, places, and experiences, here and gone, that I know, love, and carry with me. Every piece gives me the opportunity to reconnect with those experiences and emotions past and shared. Through this dialogue I hope to share something of myself with you, a smile perhaps; and in doing so, I might make pots that become a part of your home.

Exhibitions