Kyle Carpenter

As a studio potter, I work diligently to make well-crafted wares for everyday people. It’s seemingly less about the “ritual of the table” and more about respecting a long tradition of craftsmen before me and discovering my own voice. As a contemporary potter, I often look to past traditions for inspiration. I’m interested in folk pottery of many origins. My native state of North Carolina, of course, offers a deep well of talented potters, both folk and contemporary, to look towards for inspiration.

Simplicity in form offers a broad surface for me to embellish with lines, patterns, and drawings. Before I was introduced to the ceramics arts, I did a fair amount of illustration before and during art school. The combination of three-dimensional forms and two-dimensional drawings was a natural fusion of both my love of drawing and pottery, art and craft. It is my intention to bring together clear and abstract markings to engage the viewer to look closely at how design relates to the form of the pot.

-- Kyle Carpenter

Kyle Carpenter was born and raised in the Raleigh, NC. He attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2000. Kyle soon married and made his permanent home in Asheville. In 2002, he built a salt-kiln and made a studio at his home. Since then, he has been working as a full-time studio potter, exhibiting his work at studio tours, galleries, and museums across the United States. In 2007, Kyle moved his studio and gallery to Asheville’s Historic River Arts District. He continues to welcome locals and tourists alike into his studio, offering a glimpse into the profession he loves.