Collection: Hannah Niswonger - Featured Artist

Artist Statement:

Here is an assortment of eclectically decorated mugs, representing several ongoing series of indeterminate lengths. 

The winterberry and serviceberry mugs explore the relationships between plants and animals in our environment. The creatures depicted on these mugs rely upon the fruits of the trees to thrive. This project was inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Gathering Moss. Many species of birds require a certain plant in order to successfully complete its life cycle. The systems that maintain the health of a species are complex and often mysterious. Without the key plant species in their environments, a bird can fail to thrive.

Awkward Conversations, which began around 2010, but keeps feeling relevant, pairs uncomfortable animals—in this case a rhino and toad, a cat and mouse.

The Scrabble cups are part of a series of pots playing with the iconography of classic board games. The tiles spell the name of the creatures wrapped around the cup. The Mountain Rabbits mug is my homage to the powerful and destructive bunnies that live on the rocks in my yard and savage any unfenced portions of my garden.

These little mugs are each an exploration of complexities of life ranging from personal to global in scale. I use humor to process difficult issues: predaceous bunnies; climate change; loss of habitat; why can't we all just get along…

I hope they bring you joy.

Bio: 

Hannah holds an MFA in ceramic sculpture from Alfred University and a BA from Wesleyan University. She has taught ceramics at numerous colleges, including MassArt and Harvard University. Her recent work builds on a lifelong passion for the natural world, incorporating careful studies of flora and fauna into pottery and sculpture. She has over three decades of experience exhibiting nationally in galleries and juried craft shows, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art Show, Smithsonian Craft Show and CraftBoston, where she received the Award of Distinction. Her work is held in permanent collections including at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts and the Alfred Museum of Ceramic Art. She is co-founder and co-director of Pots On Wheels, POW!, a community engaged craft project. She lives in Melrose, Massachusetts with her family, beloved puppy, cat and two bad rabbits.

Find Hannah’s Artaxis page: https://artaxis.org/artist/hannah-niswonger/

Find Hannah's Instagram: @hannahniswongerclay

** Hannah Niswonger's Artaxis Shop has ended. You can find more work available for sale by visiting the other Featured Artist collections HERE