I'm AJ Steele, a ceramic artist based in Colorado. I make all of my work by hand in my studio in Denver, where I focus on making large-scale vessels. The methods I use to build these vessels are strongly influenced by the coiling and paddling techniques I learned while studying pottery in South Korea. Those methods are traditionally used to make onggi, large earthenware fermentation jars, and studying them changed how I work with clay in a fundamental way. I realized that coiling allowed me to create forms that would be impossible on the pottery wheel.
These vessels are pushed to variations that go beyond function. They appear as giving forms, yet their hollow interior volume is hidden by their narrow openings that withhold access and keep the viewer out.
Most of my work is built over many days. I enjoy the slower pace of hand-building because it's a process where forms go through many stages and develop gradually. One of the things I love most about sculptural vessels is their large, round curves and substantial volume. That ability to make pieces on a larger scale is what first drew me to coil-building, and it motivates me to continue making work.
I'm intrigued by the nuances in each form and how every vessel expands and develops a unique character. No matter how many large vessels I make, I'm still compelled by watching them grow as I build them. I enjoy making work that has presence, where each form is large enough to stand on its own as a sculptural object after being fired. I keep returning to vessel forms because I love to explore different proportions and curves with each new piece.
I begin by building the base of a vessel with coils. I dry the lower section of the form with a torch until it's stronger and less malleable. I can then sculpt the curve of the form by paddling the walls outward. I try to expand the belly of each vessel to be as wide as possible, so that it's just shy of collapsing.
After finishing the main body of a vessel, my last step is to create a rim with a very narrow opening. I'm drawn towards forms with openings that are so narrow they're nearly enclosed. This step is one of my favorite moments because I'm finally able to see how the different elements of the form work together. I'm fascinated by the idea of the interior space inside the vessel that remains hidden from view. Because the vessel's opening is so narrow, it's difficult to see inside of it, and viewers have to imagine the space inside.
Before glazing, I fire each piece once in an initial firing called a bisque. Then, I create the final surface through many layers of iron oxide wash, porcelain slip, and glaze before firing each piece a second time. I carefully dry each layer before applying the next and I spend a lot of time judging thickness, timing, and how each layer will interact. The final surface develops in the kiln, so opening it after the firing is always a moment of anticipation.
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