Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Anians.
Tori, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I guess you could say I’ve had a creative side since I was a kid, like most artists today. I don’t know necessarily why I had to create things, I just knew I had to. I involved myself in as many creative classes as possible while in school and was always searching for what exactly it was I was looking for. Flash forward to college, I spent three years studying business before I realized you can’t force yourself to like something. So, I took a big leap, and switched my major to studio art, and it was like fireworks went off. Although I enjoy all areas of art, ceramics is where I feel that I thrive. I graduated from North Central College in June 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make mostly wheel-thrown ceramics out of stoneware or porcelain, and every now and then I enjoy slip-casting or hand-building. I’m not entirely sure if I have a message just yet, but it is definitely inspired by the natural world around us. My forms and glaze choices are usually inspired by something I saw, smelled, or touched while exploring the outdoors. My hopes are that these pieces bring people comfort, spark up a memory, or simply just make them smile. I guess what I mean is that I want my artwork to become a part of someone’s life, and for them to make it their own in whatever way they choose.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
I don’t really think the role of the artist has changed, because they are all different. Some create for a living, others because they have leisure time. Some create to make a point, and some choose to never show it to anyone at all. If an artist chooses to share it with the world, well then, we can consider ourselves lucky. Art is everywhere, whether you believe it or not, and artists often help to tell stories even if it isn’t all over the news. And more often than not, an artist’s work will speak of a story that won’t be spoken of on national television. So, has an artist’s role changed given world events? I don’t think so, but I do believe it has gotten more powerful, and I think people are more willing to listen to the message. As far as how world events affect my work, I do not produce work that may be considered controversial or risky, but I’m still figuring out myself as an artist. Who knows, maybe I’ll look back on this one day and laugh at the “young me”. But for now, I am enjoying the track that I’m on and I think I’ll keep chugging along.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have an active Instagram page. My handle is: bigfish_ceramicsco. You can find a lot of my progress, process, and videos of me working in the studio here. I also do giveaways every now and then which is super fun!
I also have a website that has recently had quite the makeover: www.bigfishceramicsco.com
You can view work I have in my shop as well as request commissions and make donations.
As far as support, it always helps when more people can see my page. If you see something you like, give my posts a share, tag a friend, or tell somebody you know. You never know who might be needing some new artwork!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bigfishceramicsco.com
- Instagram: bigfish_ceramicsco
Image Credit:
All images are taken by me: Tori Anians.
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