| Alison Evans’ Coastal Ceramics takes the natural forms of coastal life and transforms them into dinnerware and tabletop accessories. Her work is hand molded and hand glazed, making each piece unique.
Alison Evans was born in New York and lived in several eastern states before attending high school in London. Her natural curiosity and exposure to many different places lead to an ongoing exploration of visual arts. After experimentation with different mediums, Alison focused on ceramics – she loved the challenge of turning her ideas into functional forms. She further developed her skills at Textura, a small artists’ commune in Gijon, Spain, where she studied under celebrated ceramic artist Nino Caruso.
Her success at Textura led Alison to college at the Rhode Island School of Design and to the pursuit of ceramics as a career. In college Alison worked with ceramics to explore her ideas about the female figure. “I needed to challenge my own prejudices about the physical, social, and political constraints and freedoms of being a woman.” Pushing the boundaries of ceramics, she used the medium to make large scale installations. After graduation from RISD, Alison worked in New York for admired artist Katy Schimert. Through Katy’s mentoring Alison learned the foundations of discipline required to have a successful career as an artist.
After three years Alison left the city to be closer to family and focus on establishing her own studio. Settling in the quiet town of East Boothbay, Maine she let the beautiful new surroundings inspire her. She approaches functional ceramics combining her own aesthetics with the sophistication of the artists she assisted in New York. With her studio just a few feet from the ocean, Alison translates the natural forms of her environment – barnacles become candleholders; oyster shells become bowls, and clam shells are vases. Her pieces allude to natural forms without duplicating them.
Currently, Alison resides in Western Massachusetts with her husband. Although the ocean is no longer out her front door, she continues to be inspired by the natural forms and colors of the sea.
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