Stephen Phillips was raised and currently lives in the small town of Crawford, MS. His pursuit in ceramics began in his attendance at East Mississippi Community College. Stephen learned the fundamental skills of hand building and throwing at EMCC, receiving an Associate of Arts degree in 2008. He received his B.F.A. from MUW in 2013. In 2015, Stephen established Stephen’s Potter House Productions, a small studio space which can be seen in the countryside of his hometown in Crawford, Mississippi. His work has been displayed and sold in the MUW Eugenia Summer Gallery, the Columbus Arts Council, the R.E. Hunt’s Museum, and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. His work is currently on display at EMCC in their permanent collection located in Scooba, MS.
In 2021, he became a published artist and was featured in Sheen Magazine, Pottery Making Illustrated Magazine, and The Anatomy of a Good Pot. In 2022, Stephen also became one of many black artists featured in the Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists book. Stephen has currently been traveling across the country teaching and helping others accomplish their desired goals in ceramic. He’s done workshops in various places like Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, Clay by the Bay San Francisco, and many more.
In my recent work, I have been exploring the juxtaposition of textures and colors. I use underglazes as the base color and gloss glazes on top to give a differentiation between the textures and appearances provided by both glazes. I use electrical tape to create patterns and geometrical shapes. When the tape is removed revealing the underglaze surface, these pieces are fired at cone 5 (around 2167 degrees F oxidation). The lines and shapes created on the surface of each piece is designed to create a sense of movement. Each line causes for the eyes of the viewer to travel around the form, therefore creating a moment of appreciation for the form itself. The lines are also a reminder of the journey and paths we take throughout our lives and how our paths sometimes interconnect with others.
Other pieces I create are raku fired up to 1850 degrees F. The unglazed surface of the bisque pot will turn a matte black during the raku firing reduction process allowing the differentiation between the unglazed surface and the glazed area. These pieces are finished using a gold wax as an accent and cold sealed with clear acrylic spray paint. This collection is inspired by the movie Black Panther. The metallic motifs against the dark smoky surface is designed to create a sense of empowerment. This series is created with the idea of being ceremonial objects or pieces to reflect tribal status. Every piece created becomes an individual that belongs to a larger family or collection.