Red Lodge Clay Center – Short-Term Resident (AIA) 2023, (AIA) 2026
Randi O’Brien is a multiracial ceramic artist, historian, author, professor, and administrator from the Rocky Mountains. She earned both an MFA in ceramics and an MA in art history from the University of Montana. O’Brien is currently an associate professor and discipline lead of the ceramics, sculpture, and jewelry program at Irvine Valley College in Orange County, California. She is also the executive director and editor of Studio Potter.
I am a sculptor, potter, and video artist working primarily in clay, a material rooted in history and human connection. Across my practice, I use narrative and fable as frameworks to explore cycles of yearning, struggle, resilience, and transformation. Working with earthenware connects me to the folk traditions of my ancestors, where clay served as a vessel for storytelling and identity. Through contemporary narratives, I address themes such as consent, suicide, and familial trauma, creating work that challenges, provokes, and heals.