Moriah Tumbleson-Shaw
Site #1
11-15 Chardon Road
Functional & decorative porcelain ware

Biography
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, in an area bound by the Mississippi river, rolling bluffs, and farming communities. I've always loved building things, and both of my parents taught me the joys of making things with my hands. Sewing, carpentry, cooking, gardening - clay allows me to combine all these loves in one convenient, luscious media.

I now live and teach in West Medford where I gain inspiration from the boulders and birches of the Middlesex Fells, ancient artifacts housed at the Museum of Fine Arts, and graffiti adorning Orange-line trains.

Artist Statement

I make functional pieces ripe with the joy that another person is meant to interact with them.

I believe there is a richness added when we recognize that the objects we use daily have been touched by an aware individual.

I throw functional, porcelain objects on an electric pottery wheel, and glaze fire them in an oxidation gas kiln to 2284 degrees Fahrenheit.

I am continually searching for dynamic forms that combine both organic and man-made aspects. The petals of a flower and the cogs of a machine have lovely symmetries, and allude to the necessary form and function of each.

I enjoy understated drama, and often add subtle and spontaneous textures to delight seeking fingers with unexpected interactions. It is my hope that these layers of quiet information draw the user into a dialogue of discovery every time a piece is used.