Michelle Mendlowitz is a Toronto-based contemporary ceramic artist. She received a Bachelor of Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2005. Consisting of both functional and sculptural objects, Michelle's ceramic practice explores clay's expressive and utilitarian nature.
"As an artist, I am intrigued by layers. As a maker, process plays an important role. Each working stage in a piece brings a new layer and each action leaves its mark on the finished results."
Inspired by landscapes, nature, architecture and the human form, Michelle's creations begin with drawings. These drawings are then used to map out and play with melting properties of glazes that at times reveal, and other times conceal the original drawing underneath. Various textures are also used to highlight the raw clay combined with controlled layering of glazes, leaving room for the spontaneous nature of what happens in the kiln.
Michelle has shown work throughout Canada and the USA and has received awards from Craft Ontario and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, among others.