Emily Fedorchak
Fort Collins, CO
Biography
Raised in Greenfield, Indiana, Emily Fedorchak is currently interning for the Artstream Nomadic Gallery in Fort Collins, Colorado. As the former studio manager at the Wellsville Creative Arts Center in Wellsville, New York, she finds joy in planning classes and workshops for those a part of a studio community; however, her recent relocation westward has her focusing more on her own creative processes. Fedorchak graduated from Alfred University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and in 2022, temporarily moved to North Carolina to complete a ceramic internship at STARworks. This experience grew her interest in geology immensely, and she’s looking forward to continuing on this path of incorporating earthy components in her ceramic works throughout her time in Colorado.
Artist Statement
A handle provides a place to hold onto — a place to properly touch a form — a connection between outsiders and ceramic creation. Within my practice, there is a heavy focus on designing pitchers, mugs, and serving bowls; yet alterations, such as the attachment of a handle, often remain the common denominator. Juxtaposing print ideas with ceramic design provides possibilities that push for fluctuation of the form. For example, drawings of organic shapes are transformed into paper stencils which influence rim alterations, handle silhouettes, and glaze application techniques. The repetition of these shapes is essential to unifying the form. Highlighting qualities of clay processed myself also helps to generate new design elements. While often these earthy components influence the color palette, different physical qualities impact the form as well. How can I showcase the beauty and in turn provide a function? How many different ways can one rock be used? When is it viewed as a flaw and why? Where does the line between sculpture and utilitarian objects lie?
