Artist: Leilani Trinka
Leilani Trinka, SINGAPORE
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I am a maker. I believe in the beauty and the honesty of handmade objects and I have a strong, instinctual need to make useful things. Creating with clay makes me happy, encourages me to be in the moment and is a reflection of who I am.
I make functional, thoughtful pottery using porcelain. I love porcelain for its clarity, its responsiveness to my touch, its translucency when thin and its temperamental nature. I have learned work more intuitively when developing forms, allowing my progress and direction to be guided by my conversations with the clay.
Pattern, texture and detail are borrowed from a diverse range of manmade and natural sources. I combine and include unexpected visual elements into my work, to surprise and delight the viewer. Everything is considered, including the scale of my work. Generally small in size, my pieces are purposely made to fit in one or both hands. Small is often perceived as precious and approachable, which promotes curiosity and invites interaction. All the vessels are left uncolored so that the fine details are not obscured.
In sharing my work, I hope to celebrate the well-crafted object and to bring a sense of joy and wonder into people’s daily lives.
EDUCATION
Roehampton University, London England; PGCE Design Technology - 2001
Center for Creative Studies/College of Art and Design, Detroit MI; B.F.A. - 1989-92
University of Hawaii/Windward Campus, Kaneohe, Hawaii USA; A.A. - 1987-89
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA
AWARDS
2017
Memorial Award, 2017 Texas Teapot Tournament, TEA+ART, Houston TX USA
2015
Merit Award, Arts & Crafts Design Award, online
Walker Ceramic Award: Best in Show, The 2015 Sydney Teapot Show, Innercity Clayworker’s Gallery, Glebe, NSW Australia
Purchase Prize Winner, Medalta International TOOL Show, Yuill Family Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada
Second Place Award, Workhouse International Cup Show 2015, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA USA
EXHIBITIONS
2017
ClayAkar, Iowa City, IO USA. “11th Annual Yunomi Invitational”
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI USA. “2017 Alumni Exhibition”
Blue Line Arts, Roseville CA USA. “Off Center”
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “Cup Show”
The Clay Studio at NCECA 2017, Portland, OR USA. “Small Favors”Think Inside the Box, 2017” Invited
TEA+ART, Houston, TX USA “2017 Texas Teapot Tournament”
2016
Supermama Gillman Barracks, Singapore. “Supermama Porcelain Festival” Invited
Amelia Center Gallery, Panama City, FL USA. “Ninth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function”
Charlie Cummings Gallery, North Carolina, USA. “Cup: The intimate Object XII”
Medalta Yuill Family Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. “Medalta International Exhibition 2016-CHEERS!”
Istra, Croatia. “Arts&Crafts Design Awards, 2016” Invited (online)
The Innercity Clayworkers Gallery, Glebe, NSW Australia. “The 2016 Sydney Teapot Show” Invitational
Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA USA. “America’s ClayFest IV”
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI USA. “2016 CCS Alumni Exhibition”
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “From a Simple Slab” Solo Exhibition
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA USA. “Small Favors XI” Invited
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “Cup Show”
Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, MO USA. “2016 International Orton Cone Box Show”
The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT USA. “International Cup 2016”
2015
Amelia Center Gallery, Panama City FL USA. “Eighth Annual Cup Show: Form and Function”
Kondos Gallery, Sacramento City College, CA USA. “CUPS”
Istra, Croatia. “Arts&Crafts Design Awards, 2015” (online)
Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL USA. “Cup: The Intimate Object XI”
Medalta Yuill Family Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. “Medalta International TOOL Show”
Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT, Australia. “Object: Spoon”
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “Serve it Up”
The Innercity Clayworkers Gallery, Glebe, NSW Australia. “The 2015 Sydney Teapot Show” Invited
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “Crave the Cup”
Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA USA. “America’s ClayFest III”
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA USA. “Small Favors X” Invited
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI USA. “2015 CCS Alumni Exhibition”
18 Hands Gallery, Houston TX USA. “”8th International Texas Teapot Tournament"
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Arts Foundation, Lorton VA USA. “Drink This! The Workhouse International Cup Show 2015”
2014
Amelia Center Gallery, Panama City FL USA. “Seventh Annual Cup Show: Form and Function”
Seilers’ Studio & Gallery, Zanesville OH USA. “Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics”
Medalta Yuill Family Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. “Spoon Me! @Medalta”
Ceramics Gallery Harvard University, Boston MA USA. “Object: Spoon”
The Innercity Clayworkers Gallery, Glebe, NSW Australia. “The 2014 Sydney Teapot Show” Invited
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA USA. “Small Favors IX”
Handwerkskammer Hannover, Germany. “Only Spoons-Exhibition at Handwerksform Hannover”
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI USA. “2014 CCS Alumni Exhibition”
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA USA. “Big Fish, Small Pot VI: Sixth International Small Teapot Competition and Show”
HYART Gallery, Madison WI USA. “2014 Ceramic World Cup Tournament”
The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT USA. “International Cup 2014”
18 Hands Gallery, Houston TX USA. “”7th International Texas Teapot Tournament"
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Arts Foundation, Lorton VA USA. “Drink This! The
Workhouse International Ceramic Cup Show 2014”
2013
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI USA. “Re/VIEW: a CCS Alumni Exhibition”
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA USA. “Small Favors VIII”
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Arts Foundation, Lorton VA USA. “Drink This! The Workhouse International Ceramic Cup Show”. Juried, Honorable Mention
18 Hands Gallery, Houston TX USA. “”6th International Texas Teapot Tournament"
NCECA Houston, TX USA. “International Cone Box Show”
PUBLICATIONS
Potters Council, “2017 Potters Council Calendar-Functional Kitchen” USA
Ceramics Monthly, “Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artists 2015″ May 2015,
page 58. http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramics-monthly/
VISITING ARTIST WORKSHOPS
Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas NV USA “From a Simple Slab” 2016
COLLABORATIONS
Backwards Distilling Company, Casper, WY USA and Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV USA. “Cocktails and Clay” 2016
INTERVIEWS (ONLINE)
Keeping Isolation at Bay, The Potter’s Cast, guest December 27 2016, http://ThePottersCast.com/278
TEACHING AND RELATED EXPERIENCE
2014-present Supply Teacher, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
2012-2014 Artist in Residence, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
2002-2014 Teacher of Art and Design, Tanglin Trust School, Singapore