Paul donnelly

bio

Paul Donnelly is a studio potter residing in Kansas City, MO. He is currently an Associate Professor of Ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute working with students in the vessel concentration. He received his BFA from Edinboro University in 1997 and his MFA from the NYSCC at Alfred University in 2008. He has participated in residency Programs at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China and Watershed Center in Newcastle, ME. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally and has been published in numerous books & periodicals.

artist statement

"The home is sincere because it is an environment where we can be ourselves. It is the place where how we live is a reflection of who we are. We create domestic values through the objects we choose to collect and how we decorate our surroundings. Functional pottery is important to me as a vehicle for expression because it operates within this landscape. I am interested in integrating my work into people’s lives because of the close proximity between (the) user and object. Through use and display, pots will impart meaning that will change with the user’s relationship with the work. The objects we interact with on a daily basis can conjure experiences in our lives often becoming an article of sentiment. I intend to create work where there is a similarity between pieces but everything is unique in some way. Variability is one of the potter’s strength in terms of designing work. Crafting an eclectic array of dishes is a response to the ubiquity of objects sold through chain stores."

exhibitions