Kelly Jean Ohl

"All of my ceramic pieces are made by hand. I carve the intricate designs on each piece, then individually burnish and sand each piece before the first of multiple firings. After the work cools from the first firing, each piece is washed, waxed, hand painted with oxides and then undergoes a final firing up to 2400 degrees."

Kelly Jean's work reminds people of things they have found on the floor of the forest, something they have touched in a tide pool or a single cell organism once viewed under a microscope. Her ceramic pieces aren't any of these things in particular. They are small abstract objects that reference many biological entities without being any one specifically.

Kelly Jean uses many household utensils as well as handmade textiles in her ceramic work. This is the start for many of the intricate patterns. Each piece is then hand carved, burnished,washed, waxed and sanded. After the building process is complete each piece will then go through multiple kiln firings and will be hand painted with oxides.

Kelly Jean has a BA in both Theatre and Art from Minnesota State University as well as a Master of Arts degree with an emphasis on ceramics. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan.