Kari Rives

I have worked in various media throughout my life, studying painting and glass at the School of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then residency at The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. I returned to clay in 2001, and since then have been creating sculptures that I think of as three dimensional paintings. My focus is on animals, secure in safe places. They are a vital presence in many of our lives and celebrated themes here in the Southwest. I love the way they express themselves with honesty and trust, and appreciate their freedom from the existential angst that we deal with as human beings, and therefore a safe place to rest ones’ mind and heart. The tactile nature of clay provides a great opportunity for marks and gesture, and I choose to leave the evidence of my touch, moving quickly to maintain a sense of energy and a breath of life. I often employ multiple glaze firings at diminishing temperatures, which offers a larger color palette and increased depth through layering. In an uncertain and often scary world, I choose to project empathy as opposed to confrontation, and always try to honor the essence of the creatures I represent.

Kari Kaplan Rives attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and completed a residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. After years in the corporate art world as an illustrator, then staying home to raise twins, she returned to her first favorite medium, clay, in 2001. Employing high fire clay bodies for strength and a multitude of mid-range glazes for an extensive palette, she combines gesture, painting, and form into a three-dimensional canvas. Living in Santa Fe, New Mexico she is constantly energized by the multi-cultural population’s reverence - and citywide representation - of animals. Grateful to be part of this tradition Kari is thankful to have her work exhibited, collected, and awarded both nationally and abroad.

3-D, Ceramics, Sculpture