Jenny Gawronski

I consider myself to be both an object maker and a memory maker. These two roles are connected by their reliance on each other to succeed. I am interested in the inherent qualities that an object possesses: its functional purpose, visual aesthetics, and how the object feels when being used. By considering all of these elements, I hope to create sets of objects that will produce a meaningful memory for my user.

The handmade object communicates with its user in a very personal way. As a maker and a user, I have realized that the most meaningful experiences I have had with objects are those that focus on a specific function. This translates into my current work of creating serving pieces for specific desserts, most recently, cupcakes. I am interested in how the desserts can be enhanced by their serving pieces and how the individual ceramic objects relate and interact with each other.

I create sets and table settings of ceramic objects to develop intimate situations for my audience. This intimacy comes from the placement of the serving pieces to each other, creating different tablescapes. The objects create patterns on the table that are influenced by the Vegetal patterns in Islamic Art. I am inspired by the symmetrical patterns that are composed of elegant floral forms. I am interested in my objects themselves creating a three-dimensional pattern. The pattern becomes more than ornamentation, it is comprised by the form of the pieces.

I use the circle as a foundation for all of my tablescape patterns because of its inherent connection to the idea of the cycle. I am interested in the importance of cycles within our lives, their possibilities for marking time and place, and their potential for recalling memory. My work, too, is a cycle, constantly existing in different phases of meaning. The first phase is of anticipation and promise, as the work awaits being filled by its specific desserts. The second phase is of fullness as the ceramic setting becomes ready to serve guests their unique desserts and fulfill their celebratory experience. This leads to discovery and enjoyment in using the ceramic pieces. The last phase is evoked by the memories of the guests, their remembrance of their experience with the objects, desserts, and friends. All of these phases lead into each other and form a continuous cycle of indulgence.

-- Jenny Gawronski