“tamama’s kitchen”, an exhibit of Tamara Mann’s functional and sculptural ceramics and drawings, will be on exhibit in New Hampton School’s Galletly Gallery from Tuesday, November 1 – Tuesday, December 13, 2022. (The gallery will be closed during the School’s Thanksgiving break, from November 18 – November 28.) The public is cordially invited to a reception for the artist on Friday, November 4, 5:00 – 6:30 pm.
Inside the Art
In her artist statement, Mann shares, “Nature is all around us, and yet we rarely stop to admire its beauty. Each time I draw a flower or plant, I am forced to sit and study the architecture of its presence with my eyes. I cherish spending time in the woods, amongst the trees listening to the sounds of water, wind, leaves, and the noises of wildlife, both seen and well camouflaged. The ‘perfect imperfection’ nature offers is reflected in my interpretation of flowers, trees, and wildlife. I aim to bring the wonder of the woods indoors and to the table. In our fast-paced world, handmade art helps us slow down and enhances our everyday experience.”
Her vision is expressed in functional and sculptural ceramics. In the functional works, she has two major styles of surface decoration. Sgraffito is the technique of scratching through the surface of a layer of color to reveal the clay body beneath. The sgraffito pieces are sometimes colored with underglazes after the first firing, and sometimes simply finished with a clear glaze. Glaze painting is the technique of using colored glazes to create images on a clay surface. Using small applicator bottles and cartridges, Mann is able to control the glaze application, allowing her to draw with glaze. All of the work is fired to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Sculpting”, states Mann, “allows me to bring out my inner child. I draw upon my childhood filled with children’s story characters, fairy tales, public television puppets, and my imagination. I thoroughly enjoy watching my animal sculptures come to life. My ‘Party Animals’ series brings a playful nature to this current body of work.”
Tamara Mann’s drawings, including graffito/glaze painting and paper drawings, are her expressions of wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese concept of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. “In my efforts to capture nature’s beauty, my work is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” It is the essence of wabi-sabi.
Mann chose the title “tamama’s kitchen” because “it combines my love of sharing home-cooked food on handmade vessels and my belief that my studio is akin to my kitchen. In my studio, I lovingly make art to share with others, as in my kitchen, I lovingly make food to share with others.”
About the Artist
Tamara Mann is a graduate of Plymouth State University, receiving a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics and an M.A.T. She works in a variety of media including but not limited to paper, found object sculpture, papier maché, ceramic, colored pencil, and ink. Since 2007 Mann has exhibited in the Karl Drerup Art Gallery, the Silver Center for the Arts, with the National Women’s Caucus for Art, and in the Galletly Gallery. Mann served on the national and state boards of the Women’s Caucus for Art. Tamara Mann co owns the Community Clay Center (CCC). The CCC was founded in the spring of 2013 and continues to teach the art of ceramics and the craft of pottery in central New Hampshire to students ages 6-106.
Visit the Exhibit
This exhibit is free and open to the public. The Galletly Gallery is located on the second floor of New Hampton School’s Moore Center. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 11.
