Jennifer Cooper
About: I am a ceramic artist and educator living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I create functional pottery and teach ceramics classes in my garage studio. I strongly believe that making art accessible at a young age promotes individualism, problem solving and encourages imaginative play. More than ever, people are not working with their hands. Pottery is a therapeutic, ancient art form which promotes relaxation, intention setting and risk taking while improving fine motor skills for people of all ages.
What I love to create: I create functional pottery from a variety of clay bodies. I focus on form, texture and surface in a way that showcases the material while giving the user an experience while enjoying the product. My work is highly tactile and encourages the user to explore each piece through touch. I am constantly experimenting and only create limited batch pieces due to my constant desire to continue to experiment with the medium. Most of my work is wheel thrown and layered with slips, glazes and custom stamps that relate to social justice themes. These elements request the user to not only explore the piece tacitly but also through thoughts and ideas while using the piece.
My inspiration? Why I make? I have been working in clay since I was a child. It's a medium that I can not escape. It's my therapy and my happy place. I keep going back to the material because there is no end to what one can accomplish through working with clay. It is always a challenge yet allows my brain to slow down and let the form be what it wants to be.
What I love to create: I create functional pottery from a variety of clay bodies. I focus on form, texture and surface in a way that showcases the material while giving the user an experience while enjoying the product. My work is highly tactile and encourages the user to explore each piece through touch. I am constantly experimenting and only create limited batch pieces due to my constant desire to continue to experiment with the medium. Most of my work is wheel thrown and layered with slips, glazes and custom stamps that relate to social justice themes. These elements request the user to not only explore the piece tacitly but also through thoughts and ideas while using the piece.
My inspiration? Why I make? I have been working in clay since I was a child. It's a medium that I can not escape. It's my therapy and my happy place. I keep going back to the material because there is no end to what one can accomplish through working with clay. It is always a challenge yet allows my brain to slow down and let the form be what it wants to be.
