Kelly O'Briant

“It isn't often in my everyday studio practice that I have time to experiment, mess up, have things fail, and respond without feeling like I'm missing deadlines. It was such a gift to have the time and space to experiment, mess up, decide something wasn't working and take the time to make it work. Being on the academic path after being a self-employed potter for years has felt like a run -away train in a way. There is no time to stop and think, to experiment and start over again as often as I would have liked. I also just felt "on" all the time, speeding to one exhibition after the next, applying for jobs, giving lectures, critiquing with students, meeting people. All of that is so great and also leaves little space in one’s mind to build new concepts. Being at Hambidge allowed me to just be. It allowed me to move intentionally, slowly, to write and read and retain information. It was a gift of time and space, both in a beautiful place and inside me. I came back to my everyday studio practice feeling clear and inspired. I can say that even after a couple of months, I can look back on what I’ve done since and see the connection to thoughts I had while at Hambidge.”



– Kelly O'Briant, Texas, Ceramic Sculpture, Patricia Callan Fellow for Ceramics