Kris Erickson (she/they) is an artist and educator based in Pomona, CA. Working in clay, Kris is driven by curiosity, experimentation, and the visceral act of making itself. Their functional and sculptural work is playful, textured, contrasting, sometimes colorful, and other times quiet & minimal.
After spending their childhood in rural Connecticut, Kris moved with their family to suburban Chicago, where she began taking ceramics classes as a way to express frustration and make new friends. Erickson continued to work with clay for thirteen years, during which she was also a carpenter’s apprentice. In 2000, Kris moved to Los Angeles to study furniture and architecture at Otis College of Art & Design. After graduating with a BFA in Environmental Art in 2003, Kris designed homes, restaurants, retail, and other spaces independently and with various architecture firms.
During the recession of 2007-2009, the architecture field became unstable, and design work dried up. Kris turned again to ceramics to navigate feelings of anxiety and reconnect with their community. Kris threw themselves full throttle into working with clay and later began teaching at various community studios throughout Southern California.
Kris finds inspiration in nature’s many textures, colors, sounds, and smells. When not in the studio, she can be found in their garden, hiking local trails, or camping throughout the western US. Combined with years of frequenting punk and jazz venues around Chicago plus a passion for mid-century architecture and design, Erickson’s ceramic work reflects their amalgamation of personal history with an organically modern aesthetic.
“Whether a person is using one of my cups, viewing one of my sculptures, living in a home I designed, or taking one of my ceramic workshops, my ultimate goal is to create a space where folks can explore, discover, and become inspired.” - Kris Erickson
