New Works by Kyle Carpenter

In 1996, I came to the Asheville area to get an education. I have since graduated, married, and made my home here. I was schooled in Fine Arts with a concentration in ceramics. A few years after working a 9-5 job, I made the leap to be a full-time potter.

I make pots because it's creative, hands-on, challenging, demanding, and satisfying. All of my pottery is salt-fired. On some occasions, a wood-fired piece will make its way into my inventory. I've always been interested in atmospheric kilns. The pottery's variation in surface offers subtle change in a limited palette. Before I chose ceramics as a major in college, I had considered illustration. This is why I turn to the brush to pattern the pot. The wet brush allows me to loosen up my otherwise tight forms.

I continue to experiment with form while keeping it simple. Making simple pots appeals to me. All work is raw-glazed and single-fired. This allows me to have continuity throughout the making process. The process is what hooks us potters: Wedging clay, pulling the wall of a pot, brushing slips and glazes, firing the kiln, and happy customers.