Samantha Hostert

Bio

Samantha Hostert is a ceramic artist and educator originally from Wisconsin, currently living in the Chicago area. She received her BFA in art from Santa Clara University and Master’s in Education from DePaul University. She teaches wheel throwing and soda firing classes at Lillstreet Art Center and Clay & Company, as well as workshops around the country. She lives with her two kids, husband, and cat, and works from her home studio when she is not chauffeuring to sports practices and play rehearsals. 

Artist Statement

Samantha Hostert makes functional, comfortable pots to encourage people to slow down and enjoy the rituals and conversations of everyday life. Her surfaces are inspired by natural landscapes and the tension between order and chaos. Samantha throws each of her pieces on the potters’ wheel. She decorates them by carving intricate lines with an exacto knife and inlaying black underglaze. She then fills in areas of glaze that often run together and drip over the detailed lines in the soda kiln, giving her surfaces a rich complexity. She designs each pot to create depth, tension, and comfort, hoping to draw you in and inspire you to linger a bit longer.