Jessica Hans is a ceramic artist wrangling clay in ways we have never seen before. Working out of her studio in Philadelphia, she works at creating vessels which are, frankly, the opposite of what most ceramicists are aiming for. Instead of even, perfect curves and clean glazes, Jessica’s pots, planters and cups err on the side of the raw, lopsided, unconventionally textured and misshapen. They’re beautiful in their imperfections and tasty tactility, and we can’t get enough.
Her experimental approach to ceramics is rooted in her background in interdisciplinary art and textile design. Jessica was enrolled in textiles at college when she took her first ceramics hand-building class. Drawn in by the functionality and tactile qualities of the material, it was after taking these classes that she was hooked. In her textile design, she was inspired by the forms, textures and colours found in nature, and naturally this influenced flowed through to her ceramics.
The bold patterns and mark making she uses in her final glazes are almost like bright, graphic textile pieces. She looks to the plants, rocks and sea life found during hikes and outdoor adventures, and sometimes even forages for materials she can use in their natural state for her pieces.
