Barbara Sebastian
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1942, San Diego, California
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Hot Tea!, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Birds & Their Dwellings, Museum of Craft + Design, San Francisco, CA
2004 ACGA Special Exhibition, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2000 Solo Exhibition, Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple, Hacienda Heights, CA
1999 California Design 99, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
1993 Year of the American Craft, Syntex Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
1991 Monoprint/Monotype, Arts Council of San Mateo County, Belmont, CA
1989 Solo Exhibition, Joanne Chappell Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1988 Explorations in Paper and Clay, Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Figurative Ceramic Constructions, Susan Cummins Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1987 43rd Ceramics Annual, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
1986 West Coast Clay, Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1984 Contemporary American Heritage, Elaine Potter Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Painted, Tinted, Tainted Sculpture, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
1983 Beyond Words, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Teapots of ravens, crows, stacked with a persimmon, teacup, or other item reflect my sense that birds are magical and amazing spirits living in our world, playing with us, creating and inspiring anyone who has felt a connection with them.
The bird teapots are wheel-thrown, high-fired, glazed and unglazed. Overall, in the work that I create, I am responding to the clay, the environment, to images and abstractions. All of it is metaphoric. It is all a part of a much larger spiritual journey.
I honor the process.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Barbara Sebastian came to the Bay area in 1962 to attend the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated with a BA degree in Mathematics and Physical Education. After teaching high school for nine years, her ever-present passion for art led her to ceramics.
Barbara became a full time potter at the Potters Studio in Berkeley. In 1979, she returned to school for a Masters degree. In 1985 with a MA in Plastic Arts (sculpture) from San Jose State University, Barbara moved to San Francisco and began large architectural scale ceramic wall works. Barbara has continued to explore and expand her creative work in many realms. In addition to her small covered jars, spirit vessels and large wall works, she has painted many very large abstract murals for private and corporate facilities.
After building a new studio in the Sunset area of San Francisco in 2002, Barbara was inspired to take a drastic shift in her ceramic work: Birds, in particular ravens and crows. She received an invitation to create a work for a fundraiser titled “the Mad Hatters Tea Party” for the children’s program at the Palo Alto Art Center. Creating “Tea Anyone?” a crow with 3 tea cups stacked on its back, standing on a top hat, Barbara received the Directors award. This sculpture was then featured in the 3rd World Ceramic Biennale in Korea in 2005.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Hot Tea!, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Birds & Their Dwellings, Museum of Craft + Design, San Francisco, CA
2004 ACGA Special Exhibition, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2000 Solo Exhibition, Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple, Hacienda Heights, CA
1999 California Design 99, Contract Design Center, San Francisco, CA
1993 Year of the American Craft, Syntex Gallery, Palo Alto, CA
1991 Monoprint/Monotype, Arts Council of San Mateo County, Belmont, CA
1989 Solo Exhibition, Joanne Chappell Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1988 Explorations in Paper and Clay, Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Figurative Ceramic Constructions, Susan Cummins Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1987 43rd Ceramics Annual, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
1986 West Coast Clay, Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1984 Contemporary American Heritage, Elaine Potter Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Painted, Tinted, Tainted Sculpture, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
1983 Beyond Words, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Teapots of ravens, crows, stacked with a persimmon, teacup, or other item reflect my sense that birds are magical and amazing spirits living in our world, playing with us, creating and inspiring anyone who has felt a connection with them.
The bird teapots are wheel-thrown, high-fired, glazed and unglazed. Overall, in the work that I create, I am responding to the clay, the environment, to images and abstractions. All of it is metaphoric. It is all a part of a much larger spiritual journey.
I honor the process.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Barbara Sebastian came to the Bay area in 1962 to attend the University of California at Berkeley. She graduated with a BA degree in Mathematics and Physical Education. After teaching high school for nine years, her ever-present passion for art led her to ceramics.
Barbara became a full time potter at the Potters Studio in Berkeley. In 1979, she returned to school for a Masters degree. In 1985 with a MA in Plastic Arts (sculpture) from San Jose State University, Barbara moved to San Francisco and began large architectural scale ceramic wall works. Barbara has continued to explore and expand her creative work in many realms. In addition to her small covered jars, spirit vessels and large wall works, she has painted many very large abstract murals for private and corporate facilities.
After building a new studio in the Sunset area of San Francisco in 2002, Barbara was inspired to take a drastic shift in her ceramic work: Birds, in particular ravens and crows. She received an invitation to create a work for a fundraiser titled “the Mad Hatters Tea Party” for the children’s program at the Palo Alto Art Center. Creating “Tea Anyone?” a crow with 3 tea cups stacked on its back, standing on a top hat, Barbara received the Directors award. This sculpture was then featured in the 3rd World Ceramic Biennale in Korea in 2005.