The Master Sculptor
ADRIEN MILLER Artist
Based in Seattle, artist Adrien Miller is a master in sculpting human forms that he puts alongside everyday life items, thereby providing a sense of comfort and peace to the user. “I started out as a painter, and took some time off art school to travel to Europe and study the old masters. I kept making drawings and paintings of the sculpture I saw there, and carved my first face into a clay bank on a beach, so decided to return to college to learn sculpture. At the California College of Arts, the ceramics department was where people were making figurative sculpture, so I got into ceramics as a medium for sculpting people. It wasn’t until after 4 years working with clay that I started to make functional pottery, usually combining a sculptural or painterly quality into the work,” says Miller when asked how the idea of working with clay came to him.
His main inspiration has been the rich tradition of figurative art, as well as the inexhaustible possibilities of the ceramics process for developing a vast range or forms and surface qualities. When asked to pick his best artwork he says, “I don’t like to think so comparatively as to name one artwork as my best. My bestseller in my online shop is my “yin yang lovers bowl”, which went viral online and I’ve since produced hundreds of them. My favourite work that I do are my full figure sculptures.” What excites him the most about his profession is being absorbed and focused on the creative act. “I love the process of making, from having an idea to seeing how an idea materialises. I love the element of surprise that comes with experimenting. Opening a kiln after everything has gone through a transformation in the firing is always exhilarating. Making art brings me a sense of wonder and joy that I can share with others. Everyday I have the opportunity to create something I’ve never seen before, and that thrills me,” says Miller.
I LOVE THE PROCESS OF MAKING. FROM HAVING AN IDEA TO SEEING HOW AN IDEA MATERIALIZES. I LOVE THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE THAT COMES WITH EXPERIMENTING. OPENING A KILN AFTER EVERYTHING HAS GONE THROUGH A TRANSFORMATION IN THE FIRING IS ALWAYS EXHILARATING. EVERYDAY I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AND THAT THRILLS ME”