Artist: Taylor Sijan
Taylor Sijan, NEW JERSEY
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Bio:
Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University (2016), completed two years of post-baccalaureate study in ceramics at Wichita State University (2016-2018), and obtained an MFA with ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2021). In 2020, she was recognized as one of Ceramics Monthly’s Emerging Artists for her richly decorated porcelain pottery. Taylor has since taught at institutions including Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Peters Valley School of Craft, Gasworks NYC, and Saratoga Clay Arts Center. In 2023, Taylor joined Wooten Clayworks in Hackettstown, NJ as the studio manager and gallery coordinator. Whenever she’s not in the studio, she can usually be found thrifting, gardening, hiking, or spending time with her two cats.
Statement:
I craft richly decorated, functional pottery. Each piece is a confluence of things I find beautiful–asymmetrical compositions, evocative colors, botanical imagery, and fine details–expressed within the parameters of objects intended for active participation in someone’s life.
Balancing comfortable utility and expressive aesthetics is an interesting challenge to navigate because my pots are designed to be used, but paradoxically, decoration is often a signal to someone to not touch. To get people to overcome this initial cautiousness, I inspire curiosity through complexity and mystery by selectively hiding and/or highlighting the many techniques I use throughout my process. I begin with throwing, altering, and handbuilding to construct soft forms that are then adorned with layered ornamentation. The surface compositions are a collage of contrasting organic and geometric motifs that are painted, slip trailed, carved, and stamped. By weaving raised and recessed methods of mark-making asymmetrically around the vessels, I cultivate visual and tactile appeal to encourage a viewer’s eyes and hands to roam around the form, into the interior, and underneath.
Education
2018 - 2021 Master of Fine Arts (Ceramics Emphasis) University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude
2016 - 2018 Post-Baccalaureate in Ceramics Wichita State University Wichita, KS
2014 - 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3-D Studies Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH
- Graduated Summa Cum Laude
2011 - 2012 Associate of Arts Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH
Selected Workshops, Lectures & Demonstrations
2023 3-day Workshop Hudgens Center for Art & Learning Duluth, GA
2-Hour Workshop, Slip Trailing Wooten Clayworks Hackettstown, NJ
5-day Workshop Sugar Maples Center for Arts Hunter, NY
5-day Workshop Touchstone Center for Crafts Farmington, PA
3-Hour Workshop, Mugs Massillon Museum Massillon, OH
2-Hour Workshop, Underglaze Layering Wooten Clayworks Hackettstown, NJ
2-Hour Workshop, Layered Surface Pocosin Arts (Virtual) Columbia, NC
2022 1-Day Workshop, Layered Surface Saratoga Clay Arts Center Schuylerville, NY
(3) 2-Hour Workshops, Layered Surface Pocosin Arts (Virtual) Columbia, NC
2-Hour Workshop, Mugs / Handles Wooten Clayworks Hackettstown, NJ
1-Week Workshop, Thrown & Altered Pouring Vessels Peters Valley School of Crafts Layton, NJ
1-Week Workshop, Layered Surfaces Pocosin Arts Columbia, NC
Guest Demonstrator, Women in Clay 6 Gasworks NYC (Virtual) New York City, NY
Guest Demonstrator, Women in Clay 5 Gasworks NYC (Virtual) New York City, NY
2021 (6) 2-Hour Workshops, Layered Surface Pocosin Arts (Virtual) Columbia, NC
Guest demonstrator, Cups of All Kinds Rat City Studios (Virtual) Seattle, WA
Guest demonstrator, Liqueur Sets Rat City Studios (Virtual) Seattle, WA
2020 Lecture, “How I Use Instagram for Creative Business” Lux Center for the Arts Lincoln, NE
2019 Lecture, Technical Assistant Artist Talk Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Deer Isle, ME
Demonstration, Layered Surfaces on Clay Sheldon Museum of Art Lincoln, NE
Lecture, “Shining Light on Photo Editing” 2019 NCECA Conference Minneapolis, MN
Selected Awards, Grants & Fellowships
2022 Merit Award San Angelo Museum of Fine Art San Angelo, TX
24th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition
2021 FRANZ Rising Star Scholarship FRANZ Project Taipei, Taiwan
2020 Hixson-Lied Emergency Relief Grant University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
H-L Graduate Student Creative Activity Grant University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
Ceramics Monthly 2020 Emerging Artist Ceramics Monthly Magazine Westerville, OH
2019 Best Use of Color, Strictly Functional 2019 Amaco, Lancaster Creative Factory Lancaster, PA
NCECA Invitation to Taoxichuan Fall Art Fair JAEA International Arts Centre Jingdezhen, China
H-L Graduate Student Travel (International) Grant University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
Matthias Lloyd Spiegel Scholarship Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Deer Isle, ME
Selected Exhibitions (* denotes juried exhibition)
2023 2023 Yunomi Invitational Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
American Pottery Festival Northern Clay Center Minneapolis, MN
Furthermore Wooten Clayworks Hackettstown, NJ
* 2023 NCECA Annual - I Contain Multitudes Weston Art Gallery Cincinnati, OH
2022 Annual Cup Show Worcester Center for Crafts Worcester, MA
Two-Person Exhibition: Waxing, Waning Saratoga Clay Arts Center Schuylerville, NY
with Mike Stumbras
Two-Person Exhibition In Tandem Gallery Bakersville, NC
with PJ Hargraves
2022 Yunomi Invitational Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
Margarita Invitational III Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
Featured Artist - June Northern Clay Center Minneapolis, MN
STEEP: A National Teapot Exhibition Arts Council Princeton Princeton, NJ
Surface Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
Earthly Delights Antiquité Maison Privée Sacramento, CA
* 24th San Angelo National Ceramics Competition San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts San Angelo, TX
* Last Call VII Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
Introductions Invitational Brace Point Pottery Seattle, WA
2021 Gifted Offerings Eutectic Gallery Portland, OR
Material Mugs VI: Underglaze Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
2021 Yunomi Invitational Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
Ramen + Rice | The Idiosyncratic Bowl FOCUS Gallery, Penland Penland, NC
The Ceramics Forum: 10 Years Towards the Dialogue 2021 NCECA (Virtual) Cincinnati, OH
Solo Exhibition: Artist: Taylor Sijan Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
Solo Exhibition: Growth (MFA Thesis) Eisentrager-Howard Gallery Lincoln, NE
2020 2020 Americano Invitational Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
* Material Mugs V: Underglaze Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
Grads Against the Wall Turbine Flats Lincoln, NE
Collaborative Companions III Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
Solo Exhibition: Panacea Medici Gallery Lincoln, NE
2019 2019 Americano Invitational Clay Akar Iowa City, IA
C3: Cultivating Ceramic Collaboration Lux Center for the Arts Lincoln, NE
Two-Person Exhibition: Flora & Fauna In Tandem Gallery Bakersville, NC
with Laura Nave
Gifted Lux Center for the Arts Lincoln, NE
Breath from Afar Taoxichuan Art Center Jingdezhen, China
* Strictly Functional Lancaster Creative Factory Lancaster, PA
Faculty and Assistant Exhibition Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Deer Isle, ME
Indelible Sink Salon Studio Lincoln, NE
* Off Center: 3rd Annual International Ceramic Show Blue Line Arts Roseville, CA
* Small Favors The Clay Studio Philadelphia, PA
First-Hand Northwestern University of Missouri Maryville, MO
2018 MEDICI 25th Anniversary Exhibition Eisentrager-Howard Gallery Lincoln, NE
VAP Annual Exhibition University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE
Wichita National 2018 Ceramic Invitational Reuben Saunders Gallery Wichita, KS
* Thrown and Altered Clay Arts Vegas Las Vegas, NV
* Last Call III Companion Gallery Humboldt, TN
* 6th Central Time Ceramics Exhibition Bradley University Galleries Peoria, IL
* 11th International Texas Teapot Tournament TEAplusART Gallery Houston, TX
2017 Perception and Process City Arts Wichita, KS
* Mug Shots Lux Center for the Arts Lincoln, NE
Wichita National 2017 Ceramic Invitational Reuben Saunders Gallery Wichita, KS
* Cup: the Intimate Object XIII Charlie Cummings Gallery Apex, NC
* Wichita National All Media Exhibition Mark Arts Wichita, KS
* Serve It Up Clay Arts Vegas Las Vegas, NV
* First Annual Dog's Eye Gallery Mug Show Dog's Eye Gallery San Marcos, TX.
* Off Center: International Ceramic Art Show Blue Line Arts Roseville, CA
* Images on Clay Clay Arts Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Publications
2022 Ireland, Claire. Surface Decoration for Ceramics., 2022, p __ (photos and text).
2020 Schwartzkopf, Deb. “Artist Feature: Taylor Sijan”; Creative Pottery: Innovative Techniques and Experimental
Designs in Thrown and Handbuilt Ceramics., 2020, p. __ (photos and text).
Ceramics Monthly: “Recipes: Low to High”; Ceramics Monthly, November 2020, p. 62 (photo and text).
Ceramics Monthly: “Emerging Artists”; Ceramics Monthly, May 2020, p.34 (photos and text).
2019 Ceramics Monthly: “Exposure”; Ceramics Monthly, November 2019, p.13 (photo and text).
NCECA Journal 2019: “Shining Light on Photo Editing”; NCECA, 2019, p. 169-171 (photos and text).