Ivy Mattson
Biography
Ivy Mattson is a functional ceramicist based in Minneapolis, MN. Her wheel thrown and altered work is highly decorated, projecting joy, wonder, and curiosity–values that are echoed in her teaching practice. Mattson first began working with clay while earning her BA in Art Education at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She was then a ceramic studio artist at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND, while teaching art in Moorhead before moving to Minneapolis. There, she completed the MN New Institute for Ceramic Education Program in 2023 at Northern Clay Center. In 2024 she received the Pottery Museum of Red Wing award and continues to teach and make in the inspiring community of the Twin Cities. Through reflections of nostalgic memory, Mattson experiences a cathartic process in making and hopes to help those who experience her functional work recapture and revitalize their present moment in light of their past.
Artist Statement
I am interested in creating pottery that is animated, inviting lively interactions. My wheel-thrown and altered work is driven by memory; expressions of childhood perceptions of wonder and magic, loving and losing memories, and experiences of femininity in history and a post #MeToo world.
Sweeping my fingers along the walls and rim of the work after throwing adds personality and breath to my forms. I then build with sentimental sprig molds, memory-carved bisque molds, art-nouveau inspired slip trailing, and carving reminiscent of cake decoration. Through making, I experience personal cathartic processing along a range of emotions in memory. From the childhood joy and wonder of arranging bouquets in my grandma’s garden to the grief in the passing of a friend, pieces of memory breathe life into my forms.
While referencing specific feelings and moments in my functional-ware, I hope this process of magical remembrance translates to its user in order to revitalize one’s present moment in light of their past. The jewel-toned, variegated, flowing glazes capture life and movement, reminding one to pause and be attentive to how our pasts affect the present moment.
Discussing my favorite piece at the MIA. A jun ware bowl called Narcissus Bowl. Learn more about this fabulous piece here.