Collection: Claire Thibodeau - Featured Artist

Artist Statement:

Within my practice, I strive to create a system where the labor of making is reflective—where the piece materializes the process of its creation, and its use evokes historically grounded domestic or ritualistic traditions. The finished work and its moments of use embody meanings of both beauty and practicality, bridging past and present through form and function.

Ceramic art inherently carries symbolic resonance—objects of use naturally transform into vessels of meaning. Guided by my deep appreciation for the history of craft, patterns, domestic rituals, and fiber arts, I work to create familiar yet celebratory domestic forms. These vessels, rooted in historical traditions, are reimagined and remade—infused with the symbolic weight of clay itself. While time can be captured in many ways, clay offers a uniquely physical method of recording touch and gesture through its malleability and permanence.

I am drawn to ceramics for its dual nature—its playful adaptability and conceptual depth. It embodies themes of permanence and impermanence, memory and touch. Clay holds the past while inviting infinite possibilities for the future, transforming with every interaction yet always preserving traces of its making.

Bio: 

Claire Thibodeau is a Visiting Assistant Professor and Section Lead of Ceramics at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. Her artistic practice balances sculptural and functional design, exploring a wide range of ceramic techniques including slip-casting, hand-building, and wheel-throwing. Through these methods, she creates large-scale vessels, intricately cast wall pieces, and functional wares that merge craft and concept.

Thibodeau earned her MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2022, focusing on sculptural ceramic forms. She received her BFA in Ceramics from Alfred University in 2015, establishing a foundation rooted in material exploration and technical expertise.

Find Claire ’s Artaxis page: https://artaxis.org/artist/claire-thibodeau/

Find Claire on Instagram: @clairethibodeauceramics