From fashion school to art school, Monica Wilson tried on many different materials. She welded and stitched, drew and plotted, but at the end of the day—clay turned out to be the best fit for her. The tactile nature and immediate response to touch that comes with every work day suited her creative mind.
Standing in a riverbed as a child, Monica spotted clay. The idea that the people who came long before us discovered this natural substance and put it use, forever changing the modern world, was enough to peak her interest then and still pushes her discover and learn to this day.
“I love having this basic connection to history and the earth, and I love that clay can be so useful. Now we have ceramic engineers who develop products for space shuttles – the versatility of clay is a constant source of interest and meaning to me.”
The ceramic community also played a big role in drawing her in. Monica found them to be great cooks and honest people who could solve just about any problem with their hands. To run a ceramic studio, you must have a wealth of knowledge. Mixing glazes, firing kilns, and all sorts of heavy lifting come into play on a daily basis.
Monica’s advice for any young makers out there:
“Visit makers of all kinds, figure out how things work and how things are made. Apply these lessons to your art making. Find out how people in other countries make similar products. Learn from people who still make with their hands. Use technology where you can. Work hard. Don’t stop.”
See more of Monica’s work here.
Crafted in Carhartt 