Jenifer Thoem

"I truly enjoy the challenge that comes from working with a medium that has its own defined boundaries, yet also a vastness of creative possibilities limited only by my imagination. "

Jenifer Thoem's work is driven by her need to find simplicity and inspiration in the world around her. She captures urban and environmental textures in clay—objects so common that they often go unnoticed. With the use of such objects, Thoem hopes to provoke a connection, to spark a memory, or to urge a reflection and stillness that is not easily executed in today's world.

Thoem uses high-fire stoneware and porcelain clays to create both framed and unframed wall installation pieces. Her work is hand built and kiln fired multiple times using slips, stains, and glazes on highly textured surfaces. By permanently attaching a steel wire stem to the back of each individual ceramic piece, she is able to integrate depth and shadow into the design of her work.

Thoem grew up on a farm in North Georgia, where her love of clay and desire to build things began. It was only natural that she would go on to earn a BFA in ceramics from Georgia Southern University. Her current body of work is a result of several cross-country moves, her need to glean inspiration from new environments, and her love of the simple and complex working in tandem.