Artist's Statement

I am a studio potter currently working out of my home studio in Round Rock TX. Having grown up in India I had a lot of exposure to the traditional Indian art and craft which has significantly influenced my work.

As a child I was introduced to meditation and over the years, have enjoyed the blissful peace within myself, as a result of the practice. Working in clay feels like a natural extension of this spiritual connection. My artwork does not attempt to address any issues facing us but it is a simple expression of the joy of the spirit. To me, every pot is like a canvas waiting to be decorated so that it can add an element of beauty and joy to someone's day today life.

My pots are predominantly wheel thrown. Once the clay is leather hard, the designs are simply drawn free hand on the pot and then carved or cut through. No templates are used. The patterns are greatly inspired by traditional Indian designs and the accent is on natural motifs with intricate floral or paisley themes.

For the first few years I worked with high fired stoneware fired in a reduction kiln in a community studio but after moving to Texas I switched to an electric kiln so that I could fire my work in my own studio.

Now I primarily work with two types of clay bodies; a red clay and a very dark clay. The red clay is fired unglazed to cone 5, where upon it achieves a deep reddish brown color and a smooth rich surface. The absence of the glaze accentuates the details of the carvings. The dark mid fired clay is fired to cone 6. First the glaze is applied to the piece and then wiped out from the carved areas, revealing the clay body. The contrast between the dark clay body and the glaze helps highlight the design.

My objective is to create elegant functional forms enhanced by elaborate surface embellishment. It is the fine balance between aesthetics and function, which guides me on my evolutionary journey as a potter.

Shikha Joshi