🎧 2026 Emerging Artist: Kayla Noble, Newburgh, New York Ceramics Monthly

The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.

Ceramics Monthly: What do you do to push yourself to stay engaged and develop new forms in the field of ceramics? 

Kayla Noble: I am always striving to push different aspects of my practice, from scale, technical prowess, and formal qualities of my work, to firing methodologies and business endeavors. Looking forward to and staying engaged in my practice comes naturally to me. I find inspiration in the landscape around me by looking at natural and man-made creations, big and small. I particularly enjoy old trailer homes and, most recently, shells. I am actually rarely satisfied with my work right away, it takes some time for me to feel as though an idea has been fully explored. Wood firing is a great way to never get bored. Every time I lead a firing, I grow and evolve. I am inspired by the work my friends and colleagues make. I get a lot of energy and momentum talking with them about what's going on in their studios. I think there can be an element of healthy competition. If I see someone else pushing to refine their work, it makes me want to push harder too. 

CM: What do you see as the current trends in ceramics, and how do you respond to them? 

KN: We are seeing huge changes in commercially available materials and the mining industry as a whole, resulting in less available materials at ever-increasing prices. Because my clay body has a lot of different materials, I have been able to pivot when something becomes unavailable and I don’t feel like the integrity of my clay body changes. I depend heavily on wood and atmospheric conditions for a lot of the color and surface in my work. I work with wild materials from time to time to give my clay body extra flavor. 

Additionally, we see a lot of conversation on personal environmental responsibility in the studio and I think people really need to zoom out more. When we split hairs about individual environmental impacts, we get distracted from large geopolitical factors at play. It is important to be involved in local politics. 

Learn more at www.kaylanoble.com or follow on Instagram @kaylanobleceramics. 

May 2026: Table of Contents

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