Wide, playful grins and freckled snouts peek through the drippy exteriors of Philip Kupferschmidt’s ceramic vessels. The Orange County based-artist is known for his slouching vases and mugs effuse with beads of clay, which appear suspended in a liquid state as they ooze and trickle down the walls of each vessel.
After throwing on the wheel, Kupferschmidt pushes, bends, and pulls the pieces into their final amorphous forms, sometimes letting the material dry slightly first for easier manipulation. The artist then applies numerous drops and globs by hand and treats each to a meticulous glazing process he’s developed throughout his career, ensuring that no two pieces are alike.
In addition to his signature dribbled textures, collaboration is also a key part of Kupferschmidt’s practice. The expressive works with faces shown here were made with Calvin Wong, and the artist just shared a new series with Faye Hadfield. You can add some of his functional and decorative pieces to your own collection by checking out his shop and following updates on new releases on Instagram.