Learn more about the artist, process, and inspiration behind handcrafted ceramics at www.meghanbergman.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Meghan Bergman (she/her/hers) is a Ceramic Artist and Art Teacher from Kennett Square, PA. Her handcrafted pottery and ceramic sculptures are inspired by organic objects and underwater life, and each piece is a study of the texture and movement found in nature. Meghan has been creating ceramics for over 15 years, and has participated in firings and workshops around the country and internationally.

Meghan’s ceramic artwork has appeared in Juried Fine Art Exhibitions featuring artists from around the world, including: Small Favors, Material Mugs, Cup: The Intimate Object, Sip: A Ceramic Cup Show, and her barnacle cups were the 2020 'Best in Show' winners for the Bottoms Up exhibition.

Meghan's barnacle sculptures were selected into a juried exhibition as part of the 2018 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Pittsburgh, PA, and Meghan's work has been featured in numerous galleries across the United States.

Meghan holds a Masters Degree in Education from Gratz College in Philadelphia, PA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education and Ceramics from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
In order to be a great art teacher I feel it is essential to also be a practicing artist. In my studio I continue to work mostly with clay creating handcrafted pottery and ceramic sculptures inspired by nature. I enjoy bringing the extreme texture and movement found underneath the sea to the surface of my ceramic artwork. Each ceramic piece I make is a study of texture, capturing negative space through organic movement and creating shadows through depth and layered surfaces. I find inspiration from organic objects and underwater life in nature as well as Japanese culture, especially the idea that things should be wabi-sabi or 'perfectly imperfect'. Just as in nature, there are millions of shells and no two pieces are exactly alike, the same is true for my ceramics.

Expanding upon my early work, which featured wood firing, now in my studio I mostly fire in an electric kiln and use techniques that mimic the results a wood firing. I use shells and other natural materials to create a strong texture on my work, and then stilt the vessel on its side with sea glass and a combination of glazes and allow gravity the chance to work its magic, resulting in a waterfall of colored glass.

Each barnacle piece looks as if it has been aging over time under the sea like a rugged sandy rock growing life on the surface. Through the use of mostly matte glazes, with a hint of shiny glaze, this gives the illusion of water remaining on the surface of the piece. Each treasure looks as if it has been taken from the sea.