Medium: Functional Clay

I create ceramic works to be enjoyed with food, displayed in the home, or tucked into a serene garden. I fell in love with ceramics in 1990 while taking the first class ever offered at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis. For several years, I worked in clay part-time, while running a Twin Cities graphic design business. In late 2004 I made the transition…

After wandering through engineering, sociology, anthropology, motherhood and technical writing, I finally found my true calling in the mid-1990s, when I first got my hands in real clay. I loved the idea that you could start with earth and water, air and fire, and end up with dishes. I took classes at Northern Clay Center,…

Texture, shape and color all tell a story. I hope my work will be interesting to look at, but also to touch. Whether a piece is intended to be useful or decorative, funny or evocative, it should be relatable and touchable.  Art helps us process and express thoughts and feelings and build universal connections, that’s…

We are a husband wife team and have been making pots together since 1976. Our home and studio are located in the beautiful countryside east of Northfield. Our work combines the love of creating pots with beautiful form / function with the joy of creating whimsical imagery for each pot. . Our pots are carefully…

My slab-built low-fire clay vessels and boxes are part of a continuing experiment in creating simple objects that have a timeless look; both ancient and modern. I am interested in revealing texture and color in multiple layers with a dry and matte glazed surfaces.

Juliane Shibata is a ceramic artist and educator based in Northfield, MN. Her work is informed by the Japanese concept of mujō (mutability and impermanence) as well as the Pattern & Decoration movement. Her most recent outdoor installations aim to consider the nature of our own existence by redirecting our awareness of and engagement with the constructed environment, the…