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Christopher Dworin

  • 58 Carmelita Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA
  • Gallery/Garage

Studio Information

Studio Or Unit Number

Gallery/Garage

Special Location Or Visiting Instructions

At the green gate in front of the house, go to your left along the sidewalk 20 ft.

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About The Artist

Artist Statement

In clay I found a perfect medium for the exploration of beauty, elegance and mission.

At the same time clay is infinitely malleable, it can be totally unforgiving. I throw it,

stretch it, form it, carve it, and defy or employ gravity, to strive for work that satisfies

deeply felt archetypes of form and feeling. I find it remarkable how the smallest

adjustment to line or curve, or the slightest change in angle or thickness can transform an attractive piece into a sublime one.

My passion for working with clay followed on decades of exploring art and architecture around the world. From the weighty perfection of the ancient worlds, to the sinuous, voluptuous art nouveau and beyond, so many styles reflect and satisfy core needs of the human soul. They have inspired me to look within for form and direction and nuance in my work.

After decades of creating functional pieces as well as sculpture, I’ve more recently turned to taking functional forms such as wheel-thrown vases and exploring hand-built alterations.

Originally, to improve my figurative sculptures, I pursued a number of drawing and painting classes, and continue to paint during my travels. I’ve worked with oils, acrylics, watercolors and gouache, but find that for painting on the road gouache works best for me.

 

Biography

Christopher Dworin, a California native, has been working with clay for the last 30+ years, building on a lifelong study of art and architecture. Christopher is constantly exploring the potential of clay and glaze materials in his sculpture and functional work. He continually pushes to the edges of clay’s ability to defy gravity, define space, and live outside of time.

 

Christopher’s sculptural works include figurative torsos that often begin as wheel-thrown cylinders, ceramic landscapes in a series inspired by California’s counties, abstract “beautanicals” resembling succulents or underwater plants, geometrically-influenced bottles, carafes, and minimalist tea pots. 

 

All of his functional ceramics are one-of-a-kind, created as sculptural objects. Christopher has developed a number of innovative throwing, decorating, and glazing techniques, and continues to make experimentation an everyday part of his art. His work is held in collections on three continents.

 

My work has been available over the years through quite a few galleries, and I’ve participated in numerous shows, as well. Here are just some of them:

 

·      Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA

·      Cecilia Colman Gallery, London, England

·      Waimea Pottery Gallery, Nelson, New Zealand

·      Seager/Gray Gallery – Mill Valley, CA

·      Marin Society of Artists, San Rafael, CA

·      Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA

·      Armstrong’s Galleries, Pomona, CA

·      Potters’ Studio Gallery, Berkeley, CA

·      Barefoot Gallery – Mill Valley, CA

·      Zimmerman Gallery, Reno, NV

·      Off Rose Gallery “ColorRhythms”, Venice, CA

·      JEGA Gallery, Ashland, OR

·      The Claudia Chapline Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Stinson Beach, CA

·      Ruth Bancroft Sculpture in the Garden Show, Walnut Creek, CA

·      Pacific Rim Sculpture Group Summer Exhibition, San Francisco, CA

·      Trios Gallery, Solana Beach, CA

·      Tres Gallery, San Diego, CA

·      The Depot, Mill Valley, CA (Drawings)

Art Medium(s)

Oil Paint, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, Drawing, Ceramics, Pottery, Sculpture

Group Studio Details

After 25+ years of membership at the Berkeley Potters” Studio, I recently moved to a new studio in San Rafael, which is closer to my home: the Amphora Ceramics Studio. It’s an excellent facility that has let me expand greatly the kind of work that I can produce. Housed in a large, well-appointed industrial building, the studio offers private storage and workspace, dozens of wheels, a number of kilns, and a myriad of other must-haves and nice-to-haves for the serious potter and sculptor.

Contact Information

Artist Full Name
Contact Email Address
Phone

415-987-7400

Education

Description

My educational background isn’t art-related. I received my my BA at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a major in Environmental Studies, and my JD (law) degree from the University of California, Davis.

In my 40s I took a couple of ceramics classes, and have attended a number of workshops since then, including an intensive figurative sculpture workshop with Philippe Faraut in New York. Primarily, however, I’m self-taught.

Groups

MOS GALLERY

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