Hannah Pierce is a ceramic sculptor and mixed media artist currently making work as a Resident Artist at Nottingham Center for the Arts in San Marcos, CA. She received her MFA in Ceramics from Edinboro University of PA and her BA in Studio Art at Humboldt State University of CA. Before graduate school, Hannah worked as an educator for people with developmental disabilities at Canvas + Clay Studio located in Eureka, California. Influenced by this experience, she has taught many ceramic classes and workshops at art centers and colleges across the country with a focus on accessibility and inclusion. Hannah has exhibited her work in numerous internationally recognized exhibitions and art fairs, such as Aqua Arts Miami and Superfine! Arts Fair DC. She has received numerous awards including “Best in Show” at Workhouse Clay International at Workhouse Art Center and 2^nd place in the 36^th annual Made in California exhibition at Brea Gallery. She was a resident artist at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts as a Kiln God Award Recipient (2017) and a resident artist at Baltimore Clayworks as the Abilities Fellowship Artist (2018-2019). Works from her solo show at Baltimore Clayworks were published in the summer issue of Ceramics Monthly and also promoted by Bmore Art Magazine. She was most recently featured in the May issue of Ceramics Monthly as one of the 2021 Emerging Artists. Hannah is currently working on an installation for an invitational exhibition at the Bernardaud Foundation in Limoges, France.

From the Artist: 

"My work consists of surreal, narrative-driven sculptures that primarily portray bizarre characters and an abundance of visual metaphors. Within my playful, figurative configurations, I utilize deceptive, illustrative qualities and exaggerative forms to distort the viewer’s perspective and enhance the theatrical nature of these narrative works. The distortions create an absurd, disorienting space that offers the viewer a bodily, other-worldly experience. Within all my sculptures, the figures are visually separate from their surroundings in their illustrative, 2-dimensional format. This separation personifies an underlying tension and a sense of estrangement that everyone in our contemporary society can relate to. 

My work explores coping mechanisms, escapism, and their relation to addiction and oral fixations. We all have our little quick fixes; some are just less destructive than others. I like to exaggerate our constant “hunger” for temporary satisfaction regardless of the destructive consequences. Being heavily influenced by Pop Surrealism, I sarcastically pair dismal concepts with pleasurable pops of color, playful perspectives, and figurative distortion. I draw attention to childlike qualities when pertaining to concepts of excess, lack of self-control, and escapism. Within these works, I can bring a sense of humor and absurdity to some of the darker, more challenging aspects of being human in unstable, perpetually changing environments."

Instagram: @hannah.ceramics

http://hannahmpierce.com/

Image pictured above: Don't Pop, Just Talk, (installation), 2021. Hannah Pierce. Earthenware, porcelain, and neon sign. 5ft x 2.5ft x 8.5in. 

Thumbnail image: Nightcap, 2020. Hannah Pierce. Earthenware, luster, and magnets. 19 x 9 x 8in.