Red Lodge Clay Center – Short-Term Resident 2019
Maura Wright, based in Helena, MT is originally from Columbia, MO. She received a Master of Fine Arts from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2018 and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. Residencies include: the International Ceramic Research Center in Skaelskor, Denmark; the International Ceramic Studio in Kecskemet, Hungary; Red Star Studios in Kansas City, MO; and the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT. She is currently the Exhibitions Manager at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT.
I fell in love with vessels through my introduction to the histories of ceramics in architecture and utility. I view the vessel less as an object and more as a subject; a vehicle to expressively decorate, to meditatively and gesturally ornament. Through vessels, sculpture and installation, I exaggerate the scale and material presence of domestic objects to create a heightened sense of drama and desire. While ceramics is the primary concentration of my work, I have recently expanded my focus to include painting and collage. Ceramic objects are often paired with paper murals as I find inspiration in: still life traditions, Italian fresco painting, kitsch figurines, domestic spaces, and religious and cultural narratives. I seek an expressive spontaneity in touch as I build the work and a ripe seduction in the glazed surfaces.