Lisa Conway ( she/hers )

Through my work, I use elements of nature to reflect and reference the human body. My aim is to create pieces that evoke emotions and physical sensations. My pieces might appear as elements of plants or abstract forms that blush, sag, reach, tense, or soften. In this way, I explore the emotional language of the human body, hoping to cultivate a deeper sensitivity for how we relate to one another, and how our identities are shaped through emotional exchange. I believe in the power of the natural world and physical materiality to help us navigate life and shape our sense of self. Elements such as plants, natural materials, and weather act as grounding touchstones as we evolve. Like plants growing towards the sun, I see sexuality as a vital, essential force — one that influences how we move through the world. As a result, my work carries a strong sensual undercurrent. My conceptual development is grounded in a deep engagement with ceramic materials and processes. The clay body becomes a metaphor for my own body — as I stretch, shape, and build my pieces, I test the boundaries of both the material and my own internal, physical sensations. My surfaces are developed in layers: multiple glazes are applied and re-fired, then sandblasted, polished, and occasionally finished with wax or oil paint. The resulting surfaces are rich with variation — sometimes stone-like, sometimes glossy but always distinctly subtle, overtly tactile and evocative. Lately, my practice has been deeply influenced by water. With ever-present threats to our climate, water feels increasingly essential as a material. After completing two residencies on the Oregon Coast and two in the Oregon High Desert, I’ve become increasingly sensitive to water as a place of solace, a powerful force and a potent symbol. Whether tending my backyard garden or submerging myself in the ocean, I’m reminded of water’s dual nature: ephemeral and transparent, yet powerful and muscular. Water slows and calms us even as it remains in constant motion. As a ceramic artist, my work almost always takes the form of a vessel. With my growing focus on water, my pieces now embody both the container and contained itself — canyon or tidal-like forms that crest, flow, and pool with possibility. Having lived and worked as a practicing artist in the Pacific Northwest for over thirty years, I draw deep inspiration from its natural world. These moments of quiet observation and awe help me approach others with more compassion and navigate daily life with more joy. I hope my work can offer others the same sense of connection, presence, and gentleness.

Lisa Conway was born in Detroit, Michigan and received a B.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1990. She earned an M.F.A. in ceramics from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1993. In 1991 she was awarded a full fellowship to study at the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. Lisa has taught Art at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Portland Community College and the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Since 2003, she has served as Professor of Art and Head of the Ceramics Area at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington. Lisa has completed several prominent artist residencies around the country, most recently at the Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, Wyoming. She has also worked as a resident artist at The Archie Bray Foundation, The Anderson Ranch Art Center, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, Red Lodge Clay Center, The Oregon College of Art and Craft, and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Lisa is a new member of the Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery and was included in the Oregon Biennial exhibition at the Portland Art Museum in 2003. Her work has been included in dozens of group and solo exhibitions around the country, with a most recent solo exhibition was at the Rose Center for the Arts at Columbia College in Longview, Washington. Lisa lives in Portland, Oregon, and works out of a ceramics studio in her home.