Allison Rose Gailey

I am a potter. The objects I make exist in domestic landscapes to be cherished, contemplated, overlooked, and rediscovered. My work is fully realized when it becomes integrated into an individual’s home and contributes to the unique texture of daily life. I am guided by the principle that craftsmanship demonstrates care. Much of my inspiration comes from observing domestic life and interiors. Home is the primary site of comfort and tactile experience: a warm mug of tea, the relief of the cool side of a pillow, the imprint of upholstery on skin. References are distilled and transformed through material and labor. My practice mirrors the cadence and monotony of household routines. Finding this relationship both comforting and troubling, I seek to subvert it by embracing play and delight.experience: a warm mug of tea, the relief of the cool side of a pillow, the imprint of upholstery on skin. I harvest inspiration from domestic interiors, mending, and bodies. The limitations of containment compel me. I think about stuffing bursting from the seat of a chair, my finger swelling around my wedding band, or the soft pucker around a scar. My references are distilled and transformed through material and labor; ideas are digested like nourishment. My pots are thrown on the wheel, cut, and reconstructed. I work carefully, paying attention to symmetry, rhythm, and touch. I practice restraint, acknowledging practicality and the control I will relinquish when each pot is put to use in the world. My studio labor mirrors the cadence and monotony of domestic routine. Finding this relationship both comforting and troubling, I seek to subvert it by embracing play. My practice is a dance between intuition and rigor. Sometimes the dance is awkward, other times it is slow and deliberate. It is always generative.

Allison Rose Gailey is a ceramic artist and educator. She was raised in East Aurora, NY where she learned to appreciate hard work and craft. Both of her parents are also makers. Allison received a BFA from Alfred University in 2010 and an MFA from Ohio State University in 2017. Allison currently lives and makes in Saint Paul, MN with her husband and their son, Max.