Jennifer Hayes

Growing up as an avid reader, I was always captivated by fairy tales, fables, and mythological stories.  I would often read by my nightlight, until night turned into morning, entranced by the tales of witches, magic spells, and talking animals.  The only thing I liked more than reading, was creating and illustrating my own versions of these stories.  As a teenager, my story telling interests turned to the world of fashion design where narratives come to life in garments.  I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for two years, and then worked in high end retail.  

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My current work includes both sculpture and functional ceramics that use the visual language of fairy tales and fables to explore personal narratives.  The images I use in my work, including certain animals, tend to repeat and re-emerge in different situations.  The anthropomorphic figures convey human emotions in the moment where we are trapped between logic and animal instinct.  These pieces combine slab building, wheel throwing, and coiling techniques.  Color is built up with multiple layers of underglaze before firing in an electric kiln.