Meet The Ceramicist Making Art Inspired By The Home

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Meet The Ceramicist Making Art Inspired By The Home

Meet The Maker

GISELLE HICKS, GISELLE HICKS CERAMIC DESIGN

For Snowmass Village ceramicist Giselle Hicks, the decision to make art inspired by domestic spaces came naturally.

“I have always been interested in how our experiences within our homes affect and define how we live outside our homes,” she says.

Her life-size ceramic, flower-strewn sculptures explore the design and function of beds and dining tables–places that “personify human relationships,” she says–while her simple pinched vessels and decorative slip-cast wall quilts are made for daily use and enjoyment. “I think it’s important to live with beautiful handmade things,” Hicks says. “I really want my work to be part of people’s everyday lives.”

Describe your mind-set when creating.

I make for the pure pleasure of using the material. I like the way it feels and seeing a form come up into space. I enjoy the challenge of making something I see in my mind’s eye and being surprised by the work–or leaving space for it to take me in a new direction.

What’s your take on imperfections?

When the belly of a vessel protrudes or leans a little to one side, I’m delighted. I want the work to demonstrate my skill and control over the material while acknowledging the limitations and idiosyncrasies of my hands and body.

How are you inspired when making your textile-like designs?

We have come to associate textiles with comfort, warmth, support, rest and privacy. I think the care, attention and labor dedicated to creating these textiles is a beautiful gesture to their significance in the rituals of daily life.

Meet The Ceramicist Making Art Inspired By The Home
Meet The Ceramicist Making Art Inspired By The Home

PORTRAIT: LEVI BASIST; VIGNETTES: GISELLE HICKS