Kyle Carpenter

MudFire Gallery welcomes back Asheville potter Kyle Carpenter with a large exhibit of new works titled "Rhythm." Kyle's functional pottery enjoys an incredibly rich, warm finish, and is elegantly decorated with rhythmic brush strokes and dabs of glaze. The show will run March 12 - April 10, 2004, with an opening party and artist reception on Friday, March 12, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. (more info below photo)

About Kyle Carpenter

Kyle Carpenter lives and maintains a studio in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Kyle attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics in 2000. After graduating UNCA, Kyle worked for Highwater Clays, and taught ceramics at the high school and college levels. In 2002 he finished building a new studio in Asheville and became a full-time functional potter.

Kyle Carpenter's pots are high-fired in an atmospheric kiln seasoned with a mix of salt, soda, and sawdust for a toasty inviting finish. Much of his inspiration comes from simple rhythms and shapes in nature, translated into familiar utilitarian objects. His formal training as an artist is revealed in his work through strong design principles…with balance, unity, and contrast structuring the elegant markings with which he adorns each piece. Kyle constantly surprises with a fast-evolving portfolio of forms, all tied together by his particular sense of rhythm.

"I really enjoy bringing something handmade into a person's daily life, and like thinking about someone who uses one of my mugs or bowls every morning for breakfast," comments Kyle. "They can study it daily, always finding new reasons to love it hidden within the myriad details and atmospheric variations."