“I rarely do self-portraits but thought it might be an interesting series. In this case, the four jug-like figures are derivations of the Asian mud men and the Native American storyteller figures—and they are self-portraits.
Each figure shows a step in the pottery-making process. The first figure is mixing the clay with his feet—a common practice over centuries. The second figure is wedging the clay on the floor. The third figure is making a vessel from coils of clay, and the fourth figure has the finished pot—a success!
I am essentially a handbuilder with clay. I enjoy a sense of humor in subjects and in life, and I lace my works with satire and commentaries about the folly of man.
Wayne Ferguson has been creating unique works in clay for over 30 years. A Kentucky native, he is mostly self-taught. A studio potter creating one-of-a-kind forms, he often fires his work collaboratively in wood kilns.”
Ferguson is a roster artist with the Kentucky Arts Council, has taught ceramics throughout the region, and received the Rude Osolnik Award from the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft in 2006. His work has been published in Ceramics Monthly, as well as other publications and books, and is in numerous collections