Feature Stories 2020: Jordan Blankenship

Biography

Jordan Blankenship is an artist who designs functional ceramics that are intended to bring joy into the home, allowing the pots to give meaning to the way we eat, live, and connect. She earned her BA in Art with a minor in Digital Media Design at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2017. She worked as an Art Director and teacher at Clay More Ceramics in Naples, FL, while managing a production studio before she pursued the Post-Baccalaureate in Artisanry program at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Statement

I design functional ceramics that are intended to bring joy into the home, allowing the pots to give meaning to the way we eat, live, and connect. With my work, I seek to design a customizable experience that invites the user a moment to ponder on the thoughtfulness and usefulness of the object in the comfort of a daily ritual.

I value the craftsmanship that goes into making utilitarian pots for the home. In my studio practice, I focus on the ritual of making using hand processes such as throwing and altering to build interchangeable sets. I often draw inspiration from the simple, well-designed objects of ordinary life from something as commonplace as the chair we sit in every day. I want to celebrate the beauty of simplicity where the modesty of an object, like the everyday spoon, can coerce a moment of contemplation for craftsmanship.

My functional ceramic sets encourage freedom in the process of preparing a meal or brewing a cup of tea. I find the ability to customize preferences important to facilitate an intimate connection to the food and traditions of the individual. With this in mind I hope to bring well designed interchangeable ceramic functional dinnerware to households worldwide.

Contact

Email: jordan.e.blankenship@gmail.com
Website: jordanbceramics.com
Instagram: @jordanbceramics

Slideshow

1. Covered Jars, 2020, stoneware and glaze with nichrome wire 5.5” x 8”
2. Stacking Series, 2020, stoneware and glaze, 5” x 8” x 13” (teapot arrangement on right) 4.2” x 4.5” x 9” (jar arrangement on left)
3. Stacking Series, 2019, stoneware and glaze (alternate arrangement view) dimensions varying
4. Sketches, 2019, prototype designs 23” x 33”
5. Stacking Series, 2019, stoneware and glaze (alternate arrangement view) dimensions varying
6. Stacking Series with Jars, 2020, stoneware and glaze with nichrome wire, dimensions varying