Michael Ray Thornton

Artist's Statement:

Michael Ray Thornton is a master potter and art teacher whose work expresses his affinity with Oriental pottery traditions and aesthetics. He has studied his art for over 30 years in America and Japan with such ceramics masters as John Takehara, Jim Srubek, Manji Inoue and Ko Inoguchi. From the painstaking craftsmanship demanded by the Arita porcelain technique, to the wabi-sabi aesthetic of stoneware tea ceremony vessels, and the seductive depth of a classic celadon glaze, Michael finds a well of knowledge and inspiration in the ceramic traditions of Japan, China and Korea. He draws from these traditions liberally as he expresses his own creative vision in clay.

As Artist in Residence in Takeo, Japan, Michael spent four months teaching and learning about ceramics - deepening his appreciation for the culture and its ceramic legacy.

Michael' work is in public and private collections around the globe.