Curatorial Statement
Exhibition Posted Online: Monday, September 8, 2025 at 10 am MT
Susan Filley has worked as a studio potter throughout her career. She received her MFA in ceramics from LSU with Joe Bova and Linda Arbuckle. Susan established a teaching / workshop studio and gallery in Charleston, SC, which was devoted to building a clay community. Susan Filley was the President of NCECA, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (2000 – 2006), she is now recognized as a Fellow of the Council. She has taught many workshops and her work has been exhibited internationally. Her porcelain pottery is recognized for its elegance of form and lovely glaze surfaces.
“Porcelain – it is as pure as jade and it rings like a bell.” (Jindezhen, China, 1000 years of Porcelain)
I work with porcelain. Once fired, it becomes such a luscious dense material that I find infinitely intriguing – dense, bright, and alluring when translucent.
I have been making pots for over 40 years. The functionality of the craft first totally enchanted me. But now, for much of my work, and for many of us, we are making pots that are most often not used, save for their enticing ‘aesthetic’ function. My work is no longer just about utility, they are a wider range of ideas. But I always strive to make beautiful pots, however they may be used or be enjoyed.
And this raises the bar quite high. I make many forms, using both the wheel and hand building. I love to make cups that perfectly fit both the hand and the lip. I think bowls can serve well or simply delight from where they sit. My traditional thrown vessels and vases are simple in form and wonderfully rich in glazing opportunities. The most complicated forms are the gestural and dancing teapots and highly altered and sculpted vase forms.
-Susan Filley