Bio
Canne (pronounced "Kay-nee") Holladay was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Auburn University with a Bachelors of Fine Art. After graduation she moved to Seattle, Washington to work as a 2016-2017 studio assistant to Deborah Schwartzkopf at Rat City Studios. She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where she is part of the Work Exchange Program at The Clay Studio. Her artwork has been featured in exhibitions and publications in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Holladay is fascinated with small aspects of life, from discoveries made in the dirt as a child, to the observation of how a person is the sum of the many individuals with whom they surround themselves. This interest in small parts is reflected in her work. In addition to working with clay, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, knitting, sewing, and baking.
Artist Statement
Any one of the many parts
I create for special occasions and quiet moments. In my family, special meals come with special occasions, and pottery has come to represent the sharing of such meals. An object is more than just a thing. I create vessels for ideas and memories: coffee with friends, a basket for my dad’s oranges, a stand for grandmother’s Christmas desserts, a platter for aunt’s hors d’oeuvres, a vase to hold flowers for my mom. This sense of community with family and friends has shown me its importance, and in this way, I seek community engagement through the practice of making and using hand-made objects.
My work is informed by the vibrancy of life and the often somber reality. I have observed the feeling of tension between kinetic and potential energy within myself. As a result, I seek to convey feelings of calm, grace, and dynamism with my work. The processes of change, movement, and growth are uniquely human. I began my course of study through histology, looking toward the most basic human makeup in search of patterns that evoke emotion from the audience at an unconscious level. I have been interested in how an involuntary, internal reaction occurs with every move, taste, and perception, and how that can relate to the experience of interacting with pottery. I began to look at the body’s exterior as inspiration for the shape of my work, and my search for patterns has led to a more specific consideration of the cell. A cell can be defined as “any one of the very small parts that together form all living things.” I observe how a person in the sum of the many individuals with whom they surround themselves. As the cell breeds life, individuals breed community.
