🎧 2026 Emerging Artist: Matt Hiller, Talkeetna, Alaska 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 excites you about the field of ceramics?

Matt Hiller: The primitive nature of clay creating with my hands, its relative permanence, strong connection to human history containing rich ethnographic data, its endless uses, and limitless artistic capabilities are a few of the most exciting things about ceramics.

CM: How do you come up with the forms (or surfaces) that are prevalent in your work?

MH: Driven by the object’s intended function, I draw inspiration from historical forms, their shape, proportion, and volume, along with referencing the physical likeness of my surroundings, including architecture, nature, and the human form. My heavily textured surfaces further acknowledge these references while also being heavily inspired by the repetitive patterning seen on textiles and experienced in human life. I use textures, made by tools, to create rhythmic and contrasting motifs that decorate and adorn the surface while complementing its form. The embellishment of functional everyday objects should elevate and celebrate day-to-day rituals while promoting physical and mental awareness, inspiring conversation both interpersonal and through self-reflection.

Learn more at loftedacrestudios.square.site or follow on Instagram @hiller.matt.

May 2026: Table of Contents

Must-Reads from Ceramics Monthly

• 🎧 The Ceramic Bell Jar
• 🎧 Q&A with Misty Gamble
• 🎧 Edmund de Waal: The Memory of Wind