Sean is professional potter and currently a Long-Term Artist-in-Residence at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. His formal education included earning degrees at the Kansas City Art Institute (BFA) and the School for American Crafts/RIT(MFA). In addition, Sean has participated in several Artist Residency programs around the US, such as the Archie Bray Foundation (2011-13), Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, and Oxbow School of Art. A portion of Sean’s professional career has also included teaching in Universities, Community Art centers, and nationally attended workshops.
I am a potter. I believe in the beauty of handmade objects. I also value the constraints of working in clay. To that end, making pots is a deliberate attempt at slowing down, connecting to something deeper, and taking time to appreciate the pleasure of labor. I use pattern as a means of exploring the nature of abstraction and my forms focus on creating a space for those patterns within the context of utility. Many of the motifs I use are adapted or interpreted from textiles, paintings, and natural geometry. My formal vocabulary is culled from historic and contemporary ceramic art, design, and my own few novel additions. It is within these chosen limitations that I search for a sense of beauty and self-expression.