Shirley Gromen

 Shirley Gromen

Shirley Gromen's superb porcelain extoles the virtues of the mighty Chesapeake Bay and all the splendorous inhabitants found in and near its waters. With precise workwomanship, she wheel throws or hand builds graceful forms and decorates them lavishly with incredibly beautiful sgraffito and slip trailing, creating visually stunning illustrated, textural surfaces that the hands love to explore. Focusing an adoring lens on small creatures from sandpipers and kingfishers to blowfish and striped bass, Shirley highlights the diversity of the Chesapeake's varied habitats. In a distinctive black-and-white with occasional pops of color, her pots make use of graphic forms and visual space, making this work stand out across a room. Shirley's work is prominently featured in our own collection, and we can't say enough about how much we love her pottery's beauty, its function, and the conversation it kindles amongst guests.

Shirley Gromen received her BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and her MFA in Ceramics from The Ohio State University. She worked many years as a graphic designer before returning to the clay studio in 2015. She is a member of the Ceramic Guild and the Kiln Club, cooperative ceramic groups in the Washington, DC metro area and has shown as Scope Gallery, their shared gallery space at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA, since 2015. Her work has been selected for inclusion in numerous juried competitions and craft shows.

Artist Statement

My work serves as a portal into the ever-chaging natural world of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Through sgraffito, I interpret the region's diverse bird, fish, insect, and plant species on both functional and sculptural ceramic forms. By bringing these intricate ecosystems to the surface, I hope to inspire awareness and appreciation for the interdependent life that surrounds us.

My influences are noted in both the personal history and direct experiences with nature. I think of my grandmother's Limoges china, carried from Europe in 1914, and my mother's Imari plates from Japan, which adorned our dining room walls. Fishing trips with my father and bird watching with my husband inform my subject matter, while ongoing explorations in my craft continue to shape my artistic voice.

Each piece begins with a hand-built or wheel-thrown porcelain form. I spray black underglaze onto the leather-hard surface and use sgraffito to carve away the slip, reveealing the white porcelain beneath. Slip-trailing adds further texture and dimension. After bisque firing, a liner glaze completes the piece before it is fired to 2,200°F in oxidation. This process allows me to create patterns, textures, and narratives that bring imagined gatherings of birds, fish, and plants to life. Working from my home studio on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, I find endless inspiration in the rhythms and beauty of this environment.

Shop Shirley Gromen's pottery here.

Thanks Charlie Cummings Gallery, Gainesville, FL