Artist: Jessica Danbrook
Jessica Danbrook, ALBERTA, CANADA
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Growing up on a small farm in Alberta, Canada I considered myself fortunate to have a parent who works as a ceramic artist. To that end, I was trained from a young age in our home pottery studio and that experience helped me to develop a deep love and appreciation for the arts. The discussions around ceramic vessels helped me to see forms as concepts and ideas rather than just physical objects of containment. Needless to say, much was gleaned from my days spent unloading kilns and eating meals off of fine bone china brought over from England by my grandmother. I am fascinated and inspired by a ceramic object’s ability to capture and speak to so many things at once; a time, a place, a journey, a celebration. In my own practice, I strive to create work that also speaks to each of these themes through mark making and patterns with the whole world serving as a visual and emotional guide to choose from. Working through function, I create vessels that reference and elicit memories from my travels, which also figure prominently in my quest for personal identity.
In search of arts and culture, I have traveled to over thirty different countries and I have also spent a few of these years living abroad in London, England. My recent work seeks to blur the lines between countries, cultures, and experiences. My intent is to remind the viewer that there are multifaceted and vibrant cultures from all around us that can bring beauty and enrich our experiences inside the home. I live for those fleeting moments where such experiences can take my breath away. Standing on a new landscape, breathing in unfamiliar air and discovering new cultures are all moments that have shaped my personal identity; both as a person and as a potter. In my work I use blank clay as a canvas to impress patterns that reference such cultural experiences and translate moments in time and space into pieces of functional pottery. Through daily use of my handcrafted vessels, my desire is to share the enjoyment and inspiration drawn from my travels, as a portal of escape and wonderment, bringing deeper meaning into the ritual of everyday life.
EDUCATION
2018-2010 University of Alberta. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education Elementary. Edmonton, Alberta.
2014-2007 Red Deer College. Bachelor of Arts. Red Deer, Alberta.
2010 University of Alberta. EDFX 490: Global Citizenship Field Experience in Ghana, Africa
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2018 Salt and Soda Workshop Participant. Medalta. Medicine Hat, Alberta.
2017 Alberta Pottery Association. Salt and Soda Workshop Participant. Medalta. Medicine Hat, Alberta.
2016 Instructor Intern, Summer Program, Children’s Pottery Class. Clay Hut Art Center. Sherwood Park. Alberta.
2016 Studio Assistant. Brenda Danbrook. Banff Centre for the Arts. Banff, Alberta.
2016 Summer Studio Assistant. Danbrook Pottery Studio. Opal, Alberta.
2016-2018 Program Facilitator, Instructor, Kiln Technician & Glaze Technician.
Coopers Crossing Elementary School. Airdrie, Alberta
2014-2016 Program Facilitator, Instructor, Kiln Technician & Glaze Technician.
RJ Hawkey Elementary School. Airdrie, Alberta.
2014-2016 Instructor Assistant, Children’s Pottery Classes. Sturgeon River Pottery Guild. Gibbons, Alberta.
AWARDS
2017 Alberta Emerald Foundation Grant. Edmonton, Alberta.
2015 Alberta Emerald Foundation Grant. Edmonton, Alberta.
2010 George Lingle Global Foundation Citizenship Award. Scholarship.
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS
2015-2018 Market Collective. Chinese Cultural Centre, Calgary, Alberta.
2016-2018 Spruce Meadows International Exhibition. Calgary, Alberta.
2017 State of Art Society Annual Exhibition. Calgary, Alberta.
2017 Millarville Alberta Potters Association Collective. Millarville, Alberta.
2016 Alberta Potters Association Members Exhibition. Leighton Arts Centre. Millarville, Alberta.
2007 Student Showcase. Open House Exhibition. Red Deer College. Red Deer, Alberta.