BIO

Adero Willard is currently a visiting professor at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. She received a BFA at Alfred University in 1995 and MFA at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2006. She completed a one-year residency at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Maine. Adero has exhibited work nationally and internationally. She has worked as a professor of ceramics at Holyoke Community College since 2011. Since 2014 she is one of the cofounders of Pots on Wheels a nonprofit mobile clay education outreach project. 

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STATEMENT

A unifying thread in my work is the exploration of ordered chaos on my surfaces, constructing layer upon layer of colorful spinning circles, flipping flowers, meandering vines, industrial grids, and geometric planes. 

 

Red clay is an important part of my palette: it is the skin of the pot and provides a rich base as the first layer of the surface. Using engobe and underglazes — which like jars of paint allow me immediate access to color — I paint shapes with wax on each layer. These areas become windows through which different layers of decoration interact. The intricate visual dialogue I create presents endless possibilities for exploring identity, metaphor, materiality, and design.

 

Using engobes and underglazes — which like jars of paint, while decorating, allow me immediate access to color. On my wheel thrown and handbuilt forms, with color and wax I build up layers of to create a rich and colorful surface. The waxed areas become windows through which different layers of decoration interact. 

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