Stephanie Osser ~ Artist Statement
At a time when the world’s news is filled with hardships, fearful concerns, negativity, and divisiveness, I have committed my art to the uplifting of the human spirit and as an emanation of optimism. It is my hope that each work of art I create will take its beholders away from the darkness of our times and bring them into a world of light— whether it is through my lithophanes, the use of bright and colorful glazes against luminescent backgrounds, or explorations of the properties of light and shadow.
I also strive to bring joy to others through the aspects of my life that have given me great joy— music, motherhood, children, and nature. My parents encouraged my musical and artistic pursuits, and this inheritance is imbued in my passion for classical music, operetta, opera, and musical theatre— as well as my own performances in the Masterworks Chorale and Newton Swing Band. I have, in turn, passed on this legacy to my own children.
My ceramic practice has enabled the lines I drew as an illustrator to take on a multidimensionality and my shapes to become forms— they further enliven my art. It has also compelled me to add the newest phase of my career, in which my fascination with translucency and back lighting, storytelling, and my love of children are now embodied in the creation of a unique interpretation of shadow puppets.
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