Tanner Sawitz

"I create miniature, porcelain, crystal-glazed pottery. Half of my work is about the form and the other half is all chemistry; the crystals are just that—crystalized minerals that grow on the surface of the pot. All of my work is hand-thrown on a wheel, and all glazes made from scratch."

Tanner’s work is about the marrying of artistic elements within your control with those partially up to chance. The form of ceramic work is entirely up to the artist, but—although you can control many aspects of crystal glazing—the end result is impossible to predict with 100% certainty. That’s the beauty of leaving a portion of the artwork up to chance. Also, tiny pots are a lot of fun.

All of Tanner’s work is made of high-quality porcelain and thrown on the potter’s wheel. The glazes are mixed from scratch and applied painstakingly with paintbrushes. Some pieces also undergo additional processes, such as etching (“bleaching” certain chemicals to lighten a glaze) or luster fires (adding 22k gold to small areas of a piece during a separate fire).

Tanner learned much of what he knows from his father, who has been an art teacher for over 40 years. At Chapman University, while getting his degree in film, Tanner also worked as the ceramics lab tech, mixing glazes and helping out with studio management. Since then, he has continued to learn about the world of crystal glazing through experts such as Jose Mariscal and Ted Secombe.