Paul Maloney ( He/Him/They/Them )

I am a vessel maker. The vessel is my structure, my canvas – an empty page waiting to be filled. A field recorder of sorts, I attempt to synthesize my daily experiences through written word on anthropomorphized pots. These stories range from the mundane to the unworldly, from punk rock dive bars to a 10th century castle – anything and everything that has a story I feel the need/duty to share this with future humans. I dress my pieces like sauce on BBQ. The sauce sets the backdrop for the staged piece. After this the free-verse begins. Do I address daily fears of how to maneuver an international pandemic? Or discuss my father’s 10 year battle with Alzheimer’s? What about that time the sandwich at the bodega made me hurl? What about presenting openly as He/They for the first time in my 30's? The decisions of how to capture the essence of occurrences and emotions begin to flow naturally with a freestyle-like response – both formally and written. Each individual piece becomes a memento of the daily grind – recorded with no filter. All cloud. Whether I work intimately with a cup, transition to a larger coil vessel or throw 100 plates, the ending is the same. Momentary reflections conveyed through pottery that gives a snippet of humanness, both told and implied.

Paul Maloney was born in Houston, Texas. Paul first attended the University of Georgia, receiving degrees in both Art History and Ceramics. Soon after Paul attained a Masters in Ceramics from Indiana University – Bloomington. Paul has made work throughout various studios in the United States, including Haystack Mountain School of Craft, the Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio, Penland School of Crafts, The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the Belger Arts Center. Paul presently resides in Kansas City, Missouri where they retain their full time studio and curatorial practice.