I’m attracted to worn surfaces that suggest the passage of time as well as clean, simple, elegantly utilitarian pots. I pay careful attention to line, both in my surface decorations and in the profiles of my forms. The subtleties and imperfections found in handmade objects are reflections of the maker, and I’m interested in that personal connection — moments of quiet contemplation that handmade objects help create. I’m also very interested in the use of handmade objects in a world where the handmade can often be overlooked in favor of the more convenient or accessible.
—Courtney Murphy
Courtney Murphy studied ceramics at Oregon College of Art & Craft in Portland. She has been a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, as well as Red Lodge Clay Center and the Clay Studio of Missoula. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and has been featured in many books and magazines including American Craft and Pottery Making Illustrated. In 2011 Murphy was honored as an emerging artist by Ceramics Monthly. She lives in Missoula.