Artist: Tanya Everard
Tanya Everard, CANADA
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ARTIST STATEMENT:
My ceramic work is defined by simple forms, symbols and patterns found in both the natural and man-made worlds. These forms are layered with simple-looking, but intricate and complex patterns that I have drawn from a variety of cultural and organic settings. The viewer’s eye may be captured by a bold symmetry, an interplay of colour, or perhaps by an indefinable sense of journey as the layers unfold and are revealed.
My goal is to create beautifully adorned and richly coloured pottery that is functional, a pleasure to hold, and beautiful enough for use at both special occasions and to elevate the daily. My work explores the relationship between pattern and form, at times the pattern accommodating the form, and at other times the pattern defining the shape.
I work primarily on the wheel. The forms that I create are typically simple or traditional and reflect a bias toward function and use. Soft and smooth porcelain clay is my favoured medium as it responds well to the human touch, and provides a perfect blank canvas for the decorative techniques that I like to use.
A majority of the time I invest in a piece is given to decoration of the form. I use slip-trailing to delineate a particular motif, creating a patterned mesh that envelopes the shape, from top to bottom. I often use underglazes and metallic lustres to create layers of colour and to provide visual focus.
My decorative pattern ideas are inspired from a variety ethnicities and origins, often found on textiles or on historical tile mosaics. Often the two are blended to the extent that one may be reminded of historical quilted blankets, or others, of islamic mosque tiled walls when viewing my works. I find that every culture has a unique collection of patterns that have been refined through time, and that are visually pleasing to the human eye. I consider regularly repeated geometric patterns intriguing, and form a kind of visual calculus based on unspoken fundamental tenets. Collecting, creating, and displaying these patterns on everyday pottery is a continued celebration of their diversity, and intellectual and artistic complexity.
BIO:
Tanya Everard is a home studio potter who works with porcelain clay. She creates functional ceramics decorated with colourful underglaze slips and metallic lustres, and uses techniques such as slip-trailing, sgraffito and silk-screened underglaze slip tissue transfers. Her recent work is often highly decorative, loosely ordered and symmetric, sometimes evoking the illusion of depth or dimension. Tanya’s engineering background contributes to her meticulously crafted, unique works. Her intention is to create pottery that can be enjoyed as a functional and beautiful objects.
Tanya is from Ancaster, Ontario, but more recently has lived in Vancouver, BC, and Brisbane, Australia. She currently lives in Calgary, Alberta and is a member of the North Mount Pleasant Potter’s Guild. Aside from taking some introductory pottery courses, Tanya is for the most part self-taught and has been creating pottery in her home studio since 2014.
EDUCATION
North Mount Pleasant Art Centre (Calgary): Introduction to Pottery: Winter 2014 ACAD: Continuing Education / Recreational Course in Ceramics — Fall 2013 University of British Columbia: Masters of Applied Science (Civil/Geotechnical Engineering) - 2001
PUBLICATIONS
Everard, Tanya. “Islamic Art Inspired.” Pottery Illustrated Magazine, (September/October 2021), American Ceramic Society., pp13-15.
Ceramics Monthly Magazine (April 2019), “Exposure”p.14, photo of work submitted to Last Call IV, Companion Gallery
“The Crafted Dish.” Dutch Apple Cake (September 2017): published by Carole Epp in partnership with National Clay Week, Canada. (Artist contribution of pottery photos and recipe, pp 54-55).
EXHIBITIONS
Plenty ~ a Make and Do Cup Exhibition: selected for participation in a juried online show & sale of cups submitted by Canadian Ceramic artists, judged by Brendan Tang; October
Alberta Craft Council: “COMING UP NEXT”: participation in a juried emerging artists exhibition scheduled for Edmonton, AB: June - August 2019; Calgary, AB: August - November 2019, Canada
Companion Gallery : Last Call IV; selected for participation in a juried exhibition March 2019, TN, USA
ClayAkar: Yunomi Invitational participant 2019 - 2022
AWARDS
Companion Gallery : Last Call IV; participation in a juried exhibition March 2019, TN, USA BEST DECORATIVE AWARD
AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
Mount Pleasant Potters Guild Member (2014-present), Calgary, Alberta
CURRENT REPRESENTATION
Blue Rock Gallery , Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada, https://bluerockgallery.ca (403) 933-5047
PREVIOUS WORK HISTORY
Geotechnical/Geological Engineer: 2001-2005: Klohn Crippen
Geotechnical/Geological Engineer: 1995 - 2000: BGC Engineering