Kate Johnston (NC, b. 1988), Large Stoneware Floor Vessel

Seagrove, North Carolina, contemporary, wood fired and salt glazed stoneware, stamped "K" signature at the base, ovoid form with flared neck, wide mouth, and dual handles, the whole decorated in carved petal and foliate branch motifs accented with ash and manganese glazes.

32 x 24 x 24 in.

Private Collection, Raleigh, North Carolina

Kate’s pots are made with local materials, boldly carved with organic patterns inspired by Art Deco design, and fired in a large wood-burning kiln. Kate shows her pots internationally and has lectured and taught throughout the USA. She shares a studio and kiln in Seagrove, North Carolina, with her husband and potter, Daniel Johnston.

Kate's carving process "starts with a solid layer of slip on the still wet piece. I carve the border first and then my main pattern, slowly taking away the background and allowing the design to emerge. The carving is exact- these lines cannot be un-made. When the carving is finished, I inlay contrasting slip into the background. Lastly, I overlay ash glaze on selected elements of the pattern to give it depth. At this point the piece is finished and ready to go in the kiln."

Johnston creates a variety of forms, including those meant as daily service items like plates, cups, and vases, in addition to large-scale vessels and storage jars. She has become a prominent voice for young potters in the Seagrove area, especially women potters. Her voice emanates through workshops she teaches, lectures given (such as at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in 2019), participation in pottery fairs and exhibitions, and the opening of the Triangle Studio and gallery in Seagrove with collaborator Erin Younge.

Good estate condition; some minor base rim roughness under glaze as made.