Karen Ford

1960Born, Arlington, Virginia

EDUCATION

UnknownBS Textiles Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, New York

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

UnknownSilvermine School of Art, New Canaan, Connecticut

1998—Designer, studio potter, Westport, Connecticut

Karen Ford is known for a line of Asian high fired dinnerware that is a fusion of porcelain and bits of glass. She creates patterns on her press molded or slumped pieces using motifs drawn from the natural world.  The addition of crushed glass to the pieces before its second firing results in the blended colors that are characteristic of her work.

Ford initially pursued a career in advertising but after a pottery class at Parsons School of Design she focused on working with clay. She studied throughout the country attending workshops at craft and art centers with many artists who either studied or lived in Japan. Ford seeks to make work that is aesthetically pleasing and functional. She is interested in the concept of food, the ritual and experience of eating and the interaction of the user.