ABOUT
I'm Jeff Amato, a ceramic artist based in NYC. Following my career in public policy and finance, in recent years I’ve immersed myself in the wondrous world of ceramics. I've been very fortunate to learn from inspiring ceramicists at Greenwich House Pottery, Silvermine, Leach Pottery and La Meridiana, among other places. My knowledge of atmospheric firing really developed at The Oki Doki Studio in the Hudson Valley. I make porcelain and stoneware vessels in my NYC studio, firing most pieces in the soda and wood kilns at Oki Doki. Pieces are initially thrown on the wheel, with some altered by hand and combined into a variety of geometric shapes. The combination of form, approach to slip and glazing application, and the atmospheric firing process result in truly unique ceramic works.
Complex. Dynamic. Systematic yet random. Concepts that capture the process of making soda and wood fired ceramics. This is part of the allure of the ceramic arts, especially atmospheric firing – when all the variables at play come together to make a work intentional but with a touch of surprise.
Vessels that intersect art and function. I’m drawn to producing functional forms that add elements of creativity to our everyday lives.
Bold expression of color. I aim to produce surfaces that display varied and complex contrasts in color, texture and sheen. Surfaces that marry with the underlying form.
Diverse natural phenomena embodying a tremendous range of color and dynamic patterns are key influences on the surfaces I aim to achieve.
