MIMI ZARSKY
I’ve played with clay for a lot of years. I make work that is meant to be used--and make you smile when you use it. Pieces are one-of-a-kind slab-built stoneware, glazed with bright colors. My influences include mid-century fabric and design, my garden, good music, good food, and all the amazing potters whose work inspires me.
I grew up in Brookline, MA, lived in Philadelphia and the Bay Area for a chunk of time, and have lived in New Orleans since 2001. I work out of my small but serviceable studio behind my home in the Fauburg Marigny, along with studio dogs Trixie and Katie. I like to listen to good audiobooks, podcasts or music while I work.
THE PROCESS
I love working with slabs. It’s a lot like sewing, but instead of cotton or corduroy, the fabric is clay. In 1978, a resident potter at Penland School of Crafts told me that my strongest work was slab-built, and at that point I pretty much stopped throwing on the wheel. My work is functional, funky and feels good to use.
