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About Me

Orphan Ten Ceramics by Shannon Kelly

 

Hi, I'm Shannon Kelly (she/her). I make handmade, functional ceramics and art objects at Orphan Ten, my backyard studio, named after a Modern-Shed that was “orphaned” after a developer took delivery of seven of ten units before running out of money. Aside from being a lucky number, #10 was the last in the production line and easily customizable to accommodate a kiln and potter's wheel.

The name is also an homage to my grandmother Lillian, who was orphaned at 3yrs old and adopted at 7yrs old. She was a champion of creativity, and when I’d paint outside the lines on her picnic table, she would simply wash it off with a hose at the end of the day. In her sixties, Grandma took up painting and became quite an accomplished artist, selling her landscape and floral scenes locally.   

I started working with clay in elementary school using basic hand-building, and then renewed my appreciation for wheel-thrown pottery at Seward Park Clay Studio. Under the guidance of Chris Scamehorn, I completed a two-year work/trade program loading bisque and high-fire reduction kilns in an environment that values originality. In addition to my home studio, I remain connected to the ceramic community at Seward Park.  

I love how the name Orphan Ten reflects the past, present, and future of the space and my work as a ceramic artist. Learn more about my inspiration and process on Instagram @orphanten.

 

Artist Statement

Pottery has a long shelf life: hidden within an archeological dig, merchandised at the Goodwill, placed around the dinner table with friends, or presented at an artist exhibition in a gallery. As a culture, we learn about past peoples from stoneware artifacts that don’t easily decay like fibers, metal, and wood do. There’s a longevity to ceramics that pushes me to create items that are a representation of today, will be loved tomorrow, and are durable for the future.

I draw on my background in merchandising, as well as my love for entertaining, to create practical objects made from stoneware and porcelain. I make work in small batches and each one is unique – with its own subtleties in shape, glaze break, or unevenness along the rim. Some bowls have rings along the inside from my fingers as I pull the clay on the wheel. My wall circles and planters are a mixed-medium art object with hand-tied paracord knots for outdoor durability. Keeping those human details intact is planned.

My work is layered. I use glazes, underglazes, and oxides liberally in my work to build subtle surface decoration, and fine coats of color in contrast to melted raw mineral or crystal deposits. The patterns that I paint, splatter, or dip are meant to conjure a sense of alchemy, illumination, and harmony. Glaze chemistry is tricky, and more often than not I bet on the anomaly in a kiln, rather than a version of perfection where everything is precise.

Looking out from my studio to my garden throughout the year is a gift. In addition to being inspired by the landscape, songbirds, and seasons – my love for constellations and astronomy have guided me to fire my kiln on the new or full moon. Harnessing celestial goodness as part of my process, using the four basic elements (earth as clay, water to shape the clay, air to allow room for shape to take form, and fire to solidify the form) is part of my monthly ritual. 

Finding a balance between controlling the clay and allowing for variants within the process brings me great joy. Every piece has its own story that is deeply sentimental and intentional.

 

Giving

I believe that art has the power to spark positive change in the world. Since launching Orphan Ten in 2019, I have donated a percentage of my proceeds to Crafting The Future, Lavender Rights Project, yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective, and the Duwamish Tribe. As a fourth generation Seattleite, I acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Coast Salish people. A people that are still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage.