Kirsten Olson

Material culture can be defined as the sum of all material objects created by humans. The culture of any society is the web of information that exists in the collective living memory of the community. Culture continues to exist in the information engraved on material objects. My inspiration as a ceramic artist is strongly grounded in the spiritual material culture of the North, where I lived and worked in Alaska during my time in graduate school. My ceramic forms and patterns recall the shapes of Northern material culture from harpoon heads, tools, and parkas; while the glaze and kiln firing process reflect the textures associated with natural materials such as bone, ivory, and wood. My ceramic vessels not only contain the food and drink that nourish, but also contain the ideas of culture and community.
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