Tina Curry

Total Eclipse | Hand Sculpted Stoneware, Cold Finish | Tina Curry

Born:
Active: Knoxville (Knox County)
Region: East
Mediums: Ceramics
Website

Tina Curry

Each piece is individually formed from a slab or lump of clay. Tina primarily uses her bare hands rather than tools, so you will see her finger marks on the pieces. The love of animals, both domestic and wild, are the essence of her body of work.

“In nature I observe animals in their environment, how they move and react, and play. I sketch ideas in my mind until I can get my hands on the actual clay and then I just start. The clay leads me to where I need to go,” says Tina. She likes to challenge her creativity and push the limits of what can be expressed with a simple lump of clay. Barrel firing and varied Raku techniques enhance the detail and texture of the sculpted pieces. What better way to accentuate the horse sculptures than with actual horse hair, which leaves an intricate smoke trail design.

“I love art with texture and body that arouses that sense of touch” she says. “To me, learning and experimentation never stops. It’s amazing what art can be born when your mind is wide open and you work through challenges to bring that idea to a tangible form.”

Tina Curry began working with clay over 27 years ago. She holds a B.A. from the University of Florida and worked for 35 years in Graphic Design. Now retired, she is a full-time ceramic and bronze sculptor living in Knoxville, Tennessee. All of her sculptures are hand-built, so each has its own distinctive personality and characteristics. The specialty pieces are one of a kind and born of pure imagination. Alternative firing techniques using natural elements of horse hair, sawdust, banana peels, coffee, manure, and salt create an organic fusion. The fire, smoke, and fumes dance to create more natural surface effects and colorations. Bronze sculpture was added to her body of work in 2019 – another artistic medium that she has always wanted to pursue.

She was the featured artist for the Southern Highlands Craft Guild marketing campaign in 2016 and was honored with a solo exhibition for the Tennessee Arts Commission in Nashville, Tennessee in 2018. Her animal sculptures have been commissioned by the Knoxville Zoo, Tennessee and the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada. Her clay work is in collections of both national and international art enthusiasts. Tina is featured in the September 2022 issue of Ceramics Monthly Magazine.

Tina serves on the Board of Governors for Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Professional memberships include: Southern Highlands Craft Guild, Foothills Craft Guild, Terra Madre Women in Clay, American Crafts Council, Oak Ridge Art Center, and Arts and Culture Alliance of Knoxville.

Source: https://www.curryoriginals.com/about-1