Hannah Niswonger ( she her )

In both my sculptural and functional ceramic work, animals serve as metaphors; as characters in tiny dramas; as reminders of our impact on a fragile planet. Through years of observational drawing of plants and animals, my work is a celebration of the richness of the natural world around us, and a call for protection of that diversity. These images on plates and mugs are coded messages: in the course of enjoying a daily cup of coffee or a dinner salad, my drawings are a nudge to consider the beauty around us and the creatures we must work to protect.

Hannah holds an MFA in ceramic sculpture from Alfred University and a BA from Wesleyan University. She has taught ceramics at numerous colleges, including MassArt and Harvard University. Her recent work builds on a lifelong passion for the natural world, incorporating careful studies of flora and fauna into pottery and sculpture. She has over three decades of experience exhibiting nationally in galleries and juried craft shows, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art Show, Smithsonian Craft Show and CraftBoston, where she received the Award of Distinction. Her work is held in permanent collections including at the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts and the Alfred Museum of Ceramic Art. She is co-founder and co-director of Pots On Wheels, POW!, a community engaged craft project. She lives in Melrose, Massachusetts with her family and two bad rabbits.