Curatorial Statement
Exhibition Opening: Friday, June 5, 2020
Exhibition Posted Online: Monday, August 8, 2020 by 10 am MT
Ben Ahlvers received his M.F.A. from Ohio University in 2004, and his B.F.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1998. He currently lives and works in Lawrence Kansas, where he is Exhibitions Director at the Lawrence Arts Center. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public and private collections, including the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Emprise Bank, Ohio University, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His work has been published in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, and Ceramics Art and Perception.
Ahlvers has been a practicing artist for over 20 years, 14 of those years he’s lived in Lawrence Kansas.
At the foundation of his work is the idea of identity and how it’s developed. Translating thoughts of people, places and events from his past into the art that he creates is at the core of Ben’s creative process. The end result is always a little tongue-in-cheek and offers a certain level of alter-ego, but the work usually begins from something real. Adding elements of iconic imagery and characteristics of the human form takes the work to another level beyond personal narrative. It is in that vein that Ben also introduces and explores popular culture iconography, metaphors, and attempts to bridge ideas of identity and universal issues. This exploration often originates in lyrics, and music.