shawnspanglerceramics

Shawn Spangler is a ceramic artist currently living and working in Hawaii. Spangler's work draws inspiration from historical artifacts, design, and technology. His projects raise questions concerning authorship and collaboration, while highlighting both the connections and margins between digital and analog processes. His wheel thrown porcelain forms can be complex, yet clearly articulated, oftentimes created through the combination of multiple parts. He states. “My work is an amalgamated map of the world I reflect upon. Producing vessels is a kind of play; a regenerative act ripe with reverence, revealing the human hands enduring connection to creativity. It guides us through stories of our past remaining as a cultural signifier to help us locate where we once were and where we are going. " Spangler holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University (2001), and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Alfred University (2006). He was a resident artist in Jingdezhen, China, The Clay Studio in Philadelphia PA, and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine. He has exhibited internationally and has taught workshops at numerous art centers, colleges, and universities throughout the United States. Spangler was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Western Illinois University before currently serving as an Associate Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He is also a founding member of the artist collective Objective Clay, a member of ArtAxis, a peer-reviewed educational, and contemporary art community. As well a being Inducted into the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). IAC is an official UNESCO Partner, recognized internationally as the principal organization demonstrating excellence in the field of ceramic art globally.