Brittany Sundheim
Bio
Creating ceramics has transformed my life in profound ways. During difficult times, when I felt lost and hopeless, stepping into a ceramics studio lit a spark within me. For the first time, I could express my thoughts and feelings through clay, allowing me to connect with myself and the world around me.
My journey led me from exploring my passion for ceramics at SCAD to studying under renowned artists at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and then Receiving my Masters degree at University of New Mexico. I immersed myself in the beauty of nature, crafting pieces inspired by the intricate forms of plants and microscopic organisms. My work evolved into a series that reflects the delicate connections between all living things, demonstrating how even the smallest life forms play a vital role in our ecosystem.
As a proud member of the Jewish community as well as Native American Isleta Pueblo community, I draw inspiration from my heritage, which values creativity and the arts as pathways to connection and understanding. I believe that arts and crafts bring people together, fostering community and dialogue, and creating bonds that transcend individual differences.
Traveling has enriched my perspective—scuba diving in the ocean and studying ancient fossils have influenced my art, prompting me to explore the relationship between land and sea.
Teaching allows me to share my passion and inspire others while continuously growing as an artist. Despite facing personal challenges throughout my life, I remain dedicated to my craft, always finding new ways to innovate and connect with my audience. My art is a testament to resilience, connection, and the beauty found in the natural world.
Artist Statement
The ocean is where all life began. The ancient connection between water and sunlight is what gave birth to the first organisms. The vast biodiversity of a single reef is enough to take one’s breath away. Each plant and animal works together in an ecosystem, creating communities that coexist with one another. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that results in visually rich environments where form, texture, color, and movement stimulates the senses and inspires the imagination.
Evolution is the key to survival, and . Take the Sea Sponge, for example. A sea sponge begins as a simple celled organism that grows through an endless series of interactions in order to become the many different kinds we see today. It is incredible that without even the smallest plankton life would not exist and through influences those first microscopic organisms have become millions of different species.
My work is a reflection of this, manifesting itself into a theoretical evolution that is rooted in the recognition and appreciation of the natural world. I made pieces that were similar to radiolarians, as well as other single celled organisms and as they progressed they became more complex developing into several different series. Through intricate carvings and different textures, my pieces became strange artifacts of an alien sea. They represent the microscopic but ominous struggle where cellular building blocks cannot exist one without the other.
In my most recent series, as seen throughout this book, I have begun to apply new surface techniques. I started growing crystals on the pieces as a replacement for traditional glazing. The result was spectacular, providing a sense of movement and depth that had been lacking in my previous surfaces. This experiment led to the development of smaller pieces whose forms present the viewer with caverns and hills; the crystals create small environments of their own. These works were like a manifestation of the coral reefs and suggest this idea of growth and decay working together to create these beautiful, almost gem-like forms that will continue to grow for years to come.
Education
Graduate 2016 University of New Mexico; Albuquerque, NM
Undergraduate 2011 University of the Arts; Philadelphia, PA
BFA Crafts, Ceramics Concentration
Summer 2010 NY State College of Ceramics at Alfred University; Alfred, NY
Ceramics Month Intensive
Awards
2011 Mary Louis Beitzel Award; University of the Arts; Philadelphia, PA
Arts and Ceramics Experience
2018-current Sonshine Ceramics, Reno, NV
Founder
2016 -2017 Movimiento, Albuquerque, NM
Curator
2013- 2016 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Teacher’s assistant
Teaching Introduction to ceramics
2012 Artist in Residency, Tokoname, Japan
Working artist
2010 - 2011University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Throwing Tutor
Selected Exhibitions
2020 “Brew Haha” Sierra Arts Foundation; Reno, NV
2019 “Reno Art Fest” Downtown Reno; Reno, NV
2019 “Cabinets of Curiosity” Natural Selections Gallery; Reno, NV
2018 “Forms From an Alien Sea” Library; Reno, NV
2016 “Specimen” Factory on 5th Gallery; Albuquerque, NM (Thesis show)
2016 “Biomorphic” American Museum of Ceramic Art; Pomona, CA
2016 “What is there that we cannot see?” Clinton Adams Gallery; Albuquerque, NM
2015 “The one and the many” April Price Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2014 John Sommers Gallery; Albuquerque, NM
2014 “Uncharted Territory” Harwood Gallery; Albuquerque, NM
2013 5G Gallery, Show; Albuquerque, NM
2013 Keyoe Gama Gallery, Show; Tokoname; Japan
2012 “Microcosms” Lotus root art Gallery; Philadelphia, PA
2012 Philadelphia Museum of Art, Craft Show; Philadelphia, PA
2011 “De Ja Vu” Off The Wall Gallery; Philadelphia, PA
2011 “Art Unleashed” Hamilton Hall; Philadelphia, PA
2011 Invitational, Off the wall Gallery; Philadelphia, PA
2010 “Once Upon a Banquet…A Grimm Wandering,” Solmssen Court; Philadelphia, PA
2010 NCECA“A Place Called Paradise” Hamilton Hall; Philadelphia, PA
2010 NCECA“The Opulent Feast” CBS Auditorium; Philadelphia, PA
2010 “Emerge” Sandie Webster Gallery; Philadelphia, PA