June Woest
I was born in Kansas, a landscape defined by its prairies and expansive skies. My artwork is a testament to the unpredictable nature of weather combined with a hopeful perspective on human potential to alter climatic outcomes with yet undiscovered solutions. I am optimistic that the interactions humans have within temperamental environments can lead to future beneficial changes. It is in this spirit that I work.
An early exposure to the arts was encouraged by domestic influences, with my aunt’s oil painting dignifying our living room and my grandmother’s electric kiln hinting at the creative legacy she would leave. I eventually pursued art through formal education, obtaining a degree in Art Education from Fort Hays State University. I taught before earning my MFA from the University of Houston, in an interdisciplinary program of drawing, painting, ceramics, and
photography.
My creative process involves pouring clay into various plaster molds, painting the forms with Terra Sigillata—an ancient form of slip—and burnishing with a satin cloth to achieve a buttery soft surface. With knowledge of my materials limitations, I affix the fired clay pieces to found objects I also rework. This method underscores my fascination with clay's malleability and vulnerability—known for its dampness and fiery resilience—elements I hope resonate when the sculpture is lit and staged, at once creating a fictional yet life-like photographic landscape.
See more of the artist's work in the store.
An early exposure to the arts was encouraged by domestic influences, with my aunt’s oil painting dignifying our living room and my grandmother’s electric kiln hinting at the creative legacy she would leave. I eventually pursued art through formal education, obtaining a degree in Art Education from Fort Hays State University. I taught before earning my MFA from the University of Houston, in an interdisciplinary program of drawing, painting, ceramics, and
photography.
My creative process involves pouring clay into various plaster molds, painting the forms with Terra Sigillata—an ancient form of slip—and burnishing with a satin cloth to achieve a buttery soft surface. With knowledge of my materials limitations, I affix the fired clay pieces to found objects I also rework. This method underscores my fascination with clay's malleability and vulnerability—known for its dampness and fiery resilience—elements I hope resonate when the sculpture is lit and staged, at once creating a fictional yet life-like photographic landscape.
See more of the artist's work in the store.