Who is Turiya Gross Ceramics?

I am a Ceramic Artist based out of Taos New Mexico.

My work is inspired by the Ceramics I was exposed to in Mexico ( where I was born and raised) and by the experience of living at a Craft Community in Upstate New York where my brushwork developed by learning Folk Art Turkish motifs taught by an older Turkish man and by my travels and residencies.

My inspiration for surface and firing techniques are often based on pieces I see in museums ( wether consciously or unconsciously) . I feel deeply connected to shapes and surfaces that can draw attention to the human touch and craftsmanship.

In a world where we discard our single use objects, I want my work to help slow down our lives and appreciate a moment in time and space.

I think it is incredibly difficult to create space and pause ourselves with the mechanized ways in which we carry our daily lives.

I understand that an object is still in the realm of the material world, and I think about how the objects I produce also contribute to the notion of product, consumerism and capitalism but I hope that by creating something that brings beauty into our daily rituals, it can inspire an individual to slow down a very intimate part of what it means to be human as we nourish ourselves with these containers .

It is my hope that the Joy I feel as I hold a handmade piece , where I can read the story of the finger marks left behind and trace or uncover the mystery of how it was made can also be the experience one feels when holding one of my pieces.

I feel that the more we work with our hands to understand how things are made, the more we understand the effort spent in something well made and continue to bring curiosity to all aspects of our lives.
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Turiya Gross