Statement
I am a former graphic designer turned ceramic artist specializing in functional pottery and sculptural ceramic art. Creating art with my hands is what drew me to work with clay as a medium of expression.
It is very satisfying knowing that my handmade, utilitarian pottery will be used and handled by others in their homes. Working with clay can be a very intimate experience. I find comfort in knowing that my customers may feel a similar sense of intimacy when using my pottery.
Inspiration for much of my sculptural work originates with the allure for things worn and aged, delicate and decaying. Textures, patterns and objects from nature, as well as architectural details are elements that I incorporate into my work. Shadows cast by my sculptural work are also elements I try to focus on. Expressing emotions and life-changing experiences through my sculpture has become a recent passion of mine. I relish the challenge of seeking unconventional ways to display my sculpture as it can open the door for viewers to experience clay in a new way.
Biography
Susanna Kopchains is a former graphic designer turned ceramic artist who creates functional pottery and sculptural ceramic art. Born in New York City and raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey, Kopchains has been making art since a youngster and took her first ceramics class as a child at the Albert & Schlenz Studio in Midland Park, NJ. She received her BA in Studio Art from the University of Vermont and her MFA in Graphic Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. While she took ceramics classes at UVM under Aurore Chabot, it was at RIT where Kopchains took up her interest in clay while taking an elective class in the ceramics department.
Ten years working production and graphic design at an ad agency left her unfulfilled, so Kopchains took time off to raise her two children. Seven years later, she got back into clay and enrolled in ceramics classes at Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg, New Jersey, for 6 years under Ann Tsubota, John Reinking and Bill Macholdt, and then at the Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, under Reinking for an additional 6 years. Her ceramics have been in multiple juried and non-juried shows, some earning Awards of Excellence. Kopchains has taken numerous ceramics workshops over the years to broaden her horizons.
When not playing with clay, Kopchains can be found on the tennis court, the golf course or enjoying other outdoor endeavors. She is the mother of two and lives in Charleston, South Carolina, spending summer months in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania.