Graceful Vessels in Space by Thomas Hoadley

Artist list

Thomas Hoadley

Hoadley is a master in the art of nerikomi pottery, a Japanese technique of hand-building and pattern construction. From his studio, the artist builds layer upon layer of porcelain clay to reveal the inner workings of pattern and design, composing graceful sculptures in space. 

My current ceramic work reflects an investigation into several areas of interest and an attempt to unify solutions to various visual problems. One interest is in the vessel as an abstract sculptural form… Another is pattern & color & how a collection of abstract elements can create various feelings and impressions. The third is an interest in the investigation of surface patterns and three-dimensional forms.
/ Thomas Hoadley

Pattern prevails within and throughout his exquisite structures as colored clay is sliced in cross-sections and stacked into "loaves", resulting in geometric, repetitious progressions. This process not only builds a beautiful aesthetic but in the thickness of the clay, he adds strength and integrity to his forms. With meticulous, repeated acts of sanding and firing, the artist’s work is complete. 
 
Across Allison's Curated Collection, Hoadley's undulating objects become a sightly enigma to behold. Following the delicate traces of the maker's hand, one may marvel at volume paired with thin, supple curvature, with lips stretched wide in his arabesque vessels or carefully shaped in a bowl piece. Billowing bodies tempt the senses as color and form delicately waver while pleasantly seated in space. Hoadley’s discerning measure of deep, invigorating hue is an alluring and lustrous patchwork, ever more enticing with touches of gold leaf.

Eloquent nerikomi expressions become the foundation of extraordinary, indelible fixtures as Hoadley composes grand and exotic expressions to cherish forever.

My initial attraction to the nerikomi technique came from its organic union of pattern and structure. Rather than the former being applied to the latter, as in most decorative pottery traditions, the two are one and the same. The natural world abounds with this sort of union and as a result, offers endless inspiration for pattern making.
/ Thomas Hoadley


About the artist
After graduation from Amherst College in 1971, the artist apprenticed under Malcolm Wright and earned a Masters in Ceramics at Illinois State University. His work has been exhibited and published both nationally and internationally, and is in the collections of many notable institutions, including The National Museum of American Art at Renwick Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, and the Museum of Fine Arts - Philadelphia. Recognized as a leading artist in nerikomi, Hoadley is one of few makers with work in The White House Collection of American Crafts.