Lea Wood
My engagement and connection with pottery and clay including ceramic sculpture, spans almost thirty years. As a student during the 1970s at the San Francisco Art Institute, I discovered that I have an undiminished dedication to the art and process of creating and designing in the medium of clay.
Many of my artistic influences are still directly linked to my childhood in Southern Africa. The African colors, textures, sounds, animals, and even the collage of different cultures heavily influence, and are definitely some of the most prevalent inspirations of my ceramic work. Today there is a broader fusion of my two worlds, as I've now lived in the USA for more than half of my life. This cultural melding mixed with my love for both the tribal and urban, has remained to spark an interesting tension in my creative vision, and continues to be a central focus in my work to this day. Many years of risk taking and experimentation, combining hours of dedication and patience (including lots of excellent mistakes) has resulted in some very unusual and exciting results over the years. Although often uncharted, my love of the artistic process has not only enabled me to change direction many times, but it has also allowed me to embrace the creative unknown and keep this 14pt as exciting and fresh as the day I began.
My aim is to create a line of contemporary, aesthetically pleasing, yet functional ceramics that you will love and not think twice about using in your daily lives. All of my pieces are 100% hand made with great care and consideration-from the sculpting to the firing and glazing. They are also 100% food safe and are incredibly durable.
I wanted to create pieces that are visually strong enough to stand alone as decorative sculpture, but may also work to highlight, serve and frame a beautiful meal on your table. I would best describe this line as having flluid contemporary shapes with subtle movements and hands on spontanius designs.
I believe that it's not just an object that’s passed down to us that connects us to other traditions, heritage, rituals past, or new ones started, but it may also be objects that simply cross our path or fall into our hands.
My hope is, that my pieces carry with them in essence a part of my life's journey and inspiration. Thank you for your interest.
My engagement and connection with pottery and clay including ceramic sculpture, spans almost thirty years. As a student during the 1970’s at the the San Francisco Art Institute, I discovered that I have an undiminished dedication to the art and process of making and designing in the 14pt of clay.
My work is basically influenced by urban design, functionality, food presentation and my childhood. Growing up enriched by the collage of different cultures in Durban, South Africa, I find that my heritage and sensitivity to this are definitely the most important foundations of my work. There is a broader fusion of these two worlds today, having lived here in the USA for more than half of my life. Experimentation and hours of dedicated patience including lots of excellent mistakes have resulted in some very unusual and exciting results over the years. This has enabled me to change direction many times and keep plodding on with curiosity and resolve.
My aim is to create a line of current and aesthetically pleasing functional ceramics that you love. That you would not think twice about using in your daily lives because if you have them and didn’t you would miss them! The immediate tie to human nature and uniqueness is strengthened somehow, when presenting a meal you have prepared to company or family on a handcrafted piece. These serving pieces could be thoughtful considerations for the perfect Executive Gifts, Holiday, Wedding, Anniversary or Birthday presents or any of the many special occasions that mark our lives.
Sometimes it's an object passed down to us, or one that crosses our path that connects us to other traditions, heritage, rituals past, or new ones started.
