Mike JabburWilliamsburg, Virginia

Biography

Mike Jabbur holds an M.F.A. in Ceramics from Ohio University, a B.A. in Graphic Design from Virginia Tech University, and is currently Assistant Professor of Ceramics at the College of William & Mary. By means of the functional vessel, his work discusses human interaction and shared experience, highlighting actions and events that simultaneously enrich lives and celebrate the positive aspects of being. Jabbur has shown in the United States and China, and currently exhibits at galleries around the country.

Statement

Utilitarian pots are to be touched, held, filled, emptied, cleaned, and shared. These attributes define and direct my practice. I hope to enhance our breaks in the day—modest endeavors such as afternoon coffee, conversation, and sharing in drink with friends. Yet my pottery also encourages all-too-rare moments of reflection and celebration.

My current body of work is an exploration of dualities: the purity of porcelain versus the rawness of stoneware; the controlled process of electric-firing, which produces uniformity, versus the unpredictability of atmospheric soda-firing, which produces variation; the softening of thrown surfaces and the application of transparent glaze versus the hardening of crisp, cut edges and surfaces left unglazed; and white pots with a cool glaze palette versus earth-tone pots with a warm glaze palette. Each element is heightened by its counterpoint.

My approach to making is driven by the gestalt principle. I seek a balance between tension and resolve. I am inspired by Song Dynasty Chinese porcelain, Momoyama-period Japanese ceramics, contemporary industrial design, traditional objects for serving food and drink, the dignity of craft, the act of teaching, the human experience of shared meals, and the concept of morning coffee.