Artist Bio
Kirsten completed her BA in Anthropology from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa and received her MFA at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2014. She taught as ceramic adjunct faculty at Juniata College in 2015 and completed a residency in Seagrove, NC at the North Carolina Pottery Center in 2017. She moved back to the Carlisle area and managed the ceramics studio at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center from 2017- 2019. She is currently the ceramic studio technician at Dickinson College and works out of her own studio/gallery located in Carlisle, PA.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I am driven by the desire to explore the connection between, culture history, and materials through my ceramic vessels. My background and undergraduate degree is in anthropology which has influenced my creative motivations. My work is deeply influenced by the material culture of the North, where I lived and studied during graduate school. My forms and patterns recall the shapes of Northern material culture from harpoon heads, baskets, and parkas; while the glaze and kiln firing process reflect the textures associated with natural materials such as bone, ivory, and wood. The vessels I create not only contain the food and drink that nourishes but also contain the ideas of culture and community.
Follow on Instagram: @k.olsonceramics
