clearybio

Naomi Cleary

Teaching Artist - Past

Artist Statement

Dishes hold the potential for human connection through their tactile nature. Most of us have associations and memories connected to dishes. We look at dishes and can easily imagine using them. They live in our physical space, in our kitchen cabinets, are used every day. They have a relationship to our bodies. We pick them up and even touch them to our mouths. Dishes speak of history and lineage, passed down from mother to daughter, connected to family dinners, celebrations and sharing. They are a reminder of the warmth and comfort found in domestic spaces.

 

Bio

Naomi received an MFA in 2007 from The Ohio State University and BFA from The University of the Arts in 2002. Naomi returned to Philadelphia in early 2008 to work as a full time studio artist. Naomi has spent a summer at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and has twice participated in residencies at The Belden Brick Factory. She has taught hand building and throwing to children and adults in classroom and workshop settings. Naomi is currently the Retail & Communications Manager at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. She lives and shares a studio with partner Daniel Ricardo Teran in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia and is a founding member of the Brewerytown Ceramics Collective. Naomi is currently an instructor at The Clay Studio's School.