Katya Sheremet

Bio

Katya Sheremet was born in Sedalia, Missouri and moved to Kansas City, Missouri to attend Kansas City Art Institute. She graduated in May 2024 with a BFA in Ceramics. Katya has received the competitive merit scholarship from Kansas City Art Institute and is honored to be one of six students nationwide to receive the William Lee Scholarship. Her work often revolves around the designs of the Art Deco movement. She does this by carving or slip trailing in order to achieve a satisfying composition. One can see some of Katya’s work in the Teaching Collection in the Ceramics Department of Kansas City Art Institute.

Artist Statement

It all starts with a ball of porcelain clay under my fingertips, spinning on top of a pottery wheel as it changes into something beautiful. These functional works are meant to be used by myself before they go to my family and friends, before they enter the world. I focus on the small details and craftsmanship that make a piece of dishware enjoyable to use such as the smoothness of the bottom, how easy it is to hold, and how utensils will interact with the work. My ceramics are ever morphing, struggling to figure out what they want to be as they all have their own personality through every stage of the making process. They want to be elegant. They want to be homey. They want the raised linear designs wrapped around their forms to become a natural part of themselves, to have the low carving of ridges and divots to emphasize the hand made quality. I want my designs and decoration to be what draws people in, not a loud personality or a wild form that makes you wonder how it was constructed. 

The contrast between the calm, neutral color where one can rest their eyes and the busy, colored side where one finds their eyes entertained is an aspect in my work I love to play with. Using translucent glazes on my surfaces allows me to create more depth and color shifts which adds to that busy feeling all while still maintaining a sense of order. My pottery, while meant to be used, is also meant to be appreciated for simply being a piece of art. One could display my work on a shelf or in the cabinet at home and have just as much enjoyment as one would using it at a table. This duality in purpose is something I wish for all the people who come across my artwork to ponder about and to decide which function they would get the most enjoyment from.

Exhibitions