Mike Gesiakowski’s work is influenced by the lines, textures, and spatial balance of architecture and built environments. Born in Chicago, IL, he received his BFA in Design from Northern Illinois University, and his MFA in Ceramics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has apprenticed for Simon Levin and was a Wingate Scholar as a short-term resident at The Archie Bray Foundation. Mike lives and teaches in St. Louis where he is the ceramics instructor and the Fine Arts department chair at John Burroughs School.
My work draws upon architectural form, structural composition, and spatial balance. The lines, textures, and ordered patterns of built environments inspire pieces that speak to the connection between material, design, and craftsmanship. By translating the language of architecture into ceramic objects, I seek a dialog between past and present, presence and absence, the tangible and abstract.