Christine Gray

Pottery

I rely on the viewer's desire to embrace beauty, light and motion. Growing up near the coast, I have always been drawn to the water. This body of work is informed by the myriad patterns and forms found by the sea: reflections on a tidal pool, the curve of a shell, the patterns left by the receding tides and the way light dances as it passes through the waves.

The imperfections in these delicate, sculptural forms enhance the subtle beauty of each piece. Along with the translucent property of the porcelain, the perforations and tears in the vessels create an interesting tension between light and opacity and challenge the concept of perfection as the ideal of beauty.

The pieces are thrown on the wheel, then inverted and suspended from a turntable. Forming a partnership with gravity rather than fighting it, the porcelain is carefully worked to achieve thinness, thus maximizing the translucence in the finished work. Left unglazed to reveal the subtle variations in the surface, the vessels are polished to a marble-like finish, creating a tactile experience in tandem with the visual.

Christine Gray is a ceramic maker born and raised in Westchester County, New York. From an early age, she had a love of art, and began her artistic career in painting and drawing, the influence of which is evident in some of her ceramic work today. She is also a printmaker and jewelry designer. After moving to St. Louis in the early 90's, she took her first course in ceramics and hasn't looked back. In 2010, while living in the UK, she received a Master’s Degree in ceramics, graduating with distinction. Her work is held in private collections throughout Europe and the U.S. She now lives in and maintains a studio in a suburb of Boston.