Kelly Jean Ohl

"All of my ceramic pieces are made by hand. I carve the intricate designs on each piece, then individually burnish and sand them before firing. After the work cools from the first firing, each piece is washed, waxed, hand-painted with oxides, and then fired a final time up to 2400 degrees."

Kelly Jean Ohl's work reminds people of things they have found on the floor of the forest, something they have touched in a tide pool, or a single cell organism once viewed under a microscope. Her ceramic pieces aren't any of these things in particular. They are small abstract objects that reference many biological entities without being any one specifically.

Ohl uses many household utensils as well as handmade textiles in her ceramic work. This is the start for many of the intricate patterns. Each piece is then hand carved, burnished, washed, waxed, and sanded. After the building process is complete, each piece will then go through multiple kiln firings and will be hand painted with oxides.

Kelly Jean Ohl attended Minnesota State University, where she earned a BA in theater and art and an MA with an emphasis on ceramics. She also holds an MFA degree from the University of Michigan.