Kathy Kranias

Ceramicist | Toronto, Canada

Grecian turns and fluid forms

Kathy is a ceramic sculptor known for her hand built forms
Her white unglazed pieces are inspired by bone and Greek mythology
She takes a tactile and instinctive approach to sculpture

Kathy Kranias creates pieces inspired by Greek mythology, dance and the evolving phases of her life. Her practice is intensely tactile and involves hand building each piece with coils and countless clay elements. Trained in visual arts at Concordia University, Kathy established her practice during the early 1990s in Canada and has taught for many years. She approaches sculpture without sketches. “My ideas develop slowly as I work directly with the clay,” she says. “Form and meaning arise through direct engagement with the material.” Kathy’s pieces are defined by organic sculptural forms and white, unglazed surfaces.

Interview

©Marina Dempster

Where did your love of art begin?: I decided to become an artist when I was a teenager. I had trained in modern dance, but by the age of 18, I knew I did not want to pursue a dancer’s life. I applied to Concordia University and took a bachelor of fine arts in visual arts, graduating in 1986.
How did you become interested in ceramics?: I began by studying drawing and sculpture and working with wood carving, welding and stone. I discovered an interest in clay during my degree but I only decided to pursue it after I had graduated. Participating in a mentorship with a ceramic artist in Toronto took me on this path.
What has shaped your current approach?: In my white, unglazed pieces, I was inspired by bone, along with the rawness of clay and classical Greek marble carving. My Greek heritage and studies in classical art have informed the move to these pared-down sculptural white forms.
What is unique about your process?: I do not start with sketches or a maquette: my ideas come from personal engagement with the material. In my sculptural work, I let ideas emerge through touch, allowing the form to develop as I build.

Kathy Kranias is a master artisan: she began her career in 1988 and she started teaching in 1990