Curriculum Vitae
Osa Atoe
943 Patterson Dr.
Sarasota, FL 34234
Statement
Beginning at Abuja Pottery Centre, I return to mid 20th century Nigeria to build upon the concept of an African studio pottery movement. There, ancestral coil building and decorating techniques made famous by Ladi Kwali, combined with wheel throwing, glaze and firing technologies brought to Abuja by Michael Cardew. My work represent my belief that applying combinations of indigenous wisdom and global technology can heal our social and environmental ills . Each piece manifests as a symbol of idealism, and is a visual and tactile respite from the division, acrimony, cynicism and injustice of the world.
Education
2018: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Ceramics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
2007: BA, Sociology, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Alternative Learning
2023: Clay Cohorts with Lisa Orr
2022: Jabulile Nala, Mudflat Pottery School & Studio, Somerville, MA
2016: Workshop with Jen Allen, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Apprenticeships
2014: Studio Assistant, Rachael DePauw Pottery, New Orleans
2013-2014: Work Trade, Hands in Clay, New Orleans
Classes & Demonstrations
2024: Featured Presenter, Alabama Clay Conference, Orange Beach, AL
2023: Harvard Ceramics, “Africa Adorned: Surface Decoration Techniques Inspired by the Continent” with David MacDonald, Allston, MA
Studio T/M, “Coil Building,” Gainesville, FL
2022: Arrowmont School of Crafts, “Pattern Play” with Jen Allen, Gatlinburg, TN
Sarasota Clay Company, Intermediate Wheel Throwing, Sarasota, FL
2021: Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN (Virtual)
The Potters Class (Virtual)
2020: POT Studio, Los Angeles
2019: Throw Me Something, Baton Rouge, LA
The Knock Knock Museum, Baton Rouge, LA
2018: The Journey Lab, Baton Rouge, LA
Selected Publications & Podcasts
2023: “Osa Atoe on connecting to oneself and others through clay,” Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast
“Vessels,” American Craft
2022: “This Florida Potter Finds Inspiration From Around the Globe to Inform Her Terra-Cotta Wares,” Southern Living
2020: “Navigating an Evolving Market (Part I),” The Studio Potter
“The Joy of Making,” Ceramics Monthly
2019: “10 New Female Ceramic Artists We Love,” martha stewart
Service
2021-present: Founder and Chair, Kaabo Clay Collective
2021-2022: Ceramics Mentor (independently)
Solo Exhibitions
2022: The Sea Is Alive in Me, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
Invitational Group Exhibitions
2024: Portrait of a Kiln, Faith Arts Village Orlando (FAVO)
The Medium is the Message, NCECA, Southside Contemporary Art Center, Richmond, VA
2023: Clay Holds Water, Water Holds Memory, NCECA, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
Clouds Like Mountains, Faith Arts Village Orlando (FAVO)
Winter Warmers, Good Earth Pottery, Bellingham, WA
2022: I Am the Clay Art Center Sarasota, FL
Teapot IX Biennial Baltimore Clayworks
2021:Contemporary Pattern, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
2020: Pots from a (Social) Distance, Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis
Critical Function 2, NCECA, Visual Arts Center, Richmond, VA
2019: Art of the Cup Ogden Museum, New Orleans
Collaborative Companions, NCECA, Minneapolis
2018: ONE & ONLY: Gifts Made by Hand, John Michael Kohler Arts Center,
Coffee & Clay Pottery Northwest, Seattle
You Can Touch, LSU Post-Bacc Show, Baton Rouge, LA
American Graphic, NCECA, Samantha Skelton Gallery, Pittsburgh
Ceramicidal Tendencies, NCECA, Bunker Projects, Pittsburgh
2017: Art of the Cup, Ogden Museum, New Orleans
2016: Wishlist: Art of Sharing, 5 Press Gallery, New Orleans