Danielle Bewer

Artist Statement

My work is about seeking to reconnect to the joy of the child within, to cut through the layers of conditioning and give voice to this pure, candid, playful energy. I see my abstract ceramic artwork as a conversation in which pattern and color are the two protagonists. It’s the dialog between these two—the tension between order and emotion, between the composition’s rigid structure and the exuberance of its parts—that gives form to the message. The result is a satisfying compromise: there’s harmony in containment, but it’s the color, the emotion that has the last word.

On a material level, what gives my work its distinct feel is the choice of colored clays and semi-translucent glazes. The colored clays contribute an underlying warmth, and the translucence of glazes allows for a coherence of parts. I'm also drawn to the semi-translucent glazes for the depth of color that they offer, something that is often lacking in their opaque counterparts.

I hope that my work conveys the joy that I felt making it, and that it brightens the mood of all people and places it comes in contact with it.

 daniellebewer.com