Chandra Beadleston

Bio

I am a Thai-American ceramicist and art educator, born and raised in Kansas City. I have been a public school teacher for 24 years. My professional work has been in both national and international exhibitions, including the International Orton Cone Box Show. My porcelain artwork and jewelry is sold at Kansas City area galleries and festivals, and it explores the overlaps of clay with fabric and paper and uses thin porcelain slabs covered in decorative layers of underglaze and mason stain to mimic both. The folds and wrinkles are intended to capture both light and shadow on the porcelain surfaces. 

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from Baker University. I also have a Master of Science in Secondary Education focusing on Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Central Missouri. I have been teaching Ceramics at a high school level for most of my career.

artist statement

My vessel of choice for my art is a paper bag because it is so much more versatile than a cup or vase. Paper bags, like the ones I bring home from the grocery store or mall, can be used and reused for so many purposes. It is a great analogy for what my experience has been as a woman in today’s society, which is that a woman’s value is largely tied to what she does for others. Women, especially women of color, are expected to be multi-purpose and asked to adapt quickly. For both women and paper bags in American society, the more beautiful they are the more valuable they are considered and the more coveted they become. Bags can be filled with many other things. They can be torn down and used as wrapping. They can be flattened and stored away when you don’t want them to be seen or have no current use for them. I’m in the process of trying to unlearn this notion that my worth is tied to my tasks.