Azzariri, Jeniifer

My work is optimistic, exploring the creative potential of circumstances, emotions, relationships, and materials—the ‘ordinary stuff’ of life. In an ongoing process of playful discovery, I reimagine found objects through an imaginative lens, employing sprigging techniques to create immersive worlds that invite ceremony, contemplation, and delight. I believe that materials and objects carry memories, connecting us to past and present moments. My functional, hand-built pieces are portals into surreal, whimsical environments that tap into feelings of nostalgia and inspire childlike wonder. Ultimately, I strive to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Through careful attention to detail and playful juxtaposition, I create intimate worlds that reward close inspection. The work emerges from my own sense of wonder, inviting viewers to forge their own connections and interpretations.

For living in the middle of Washington, DC, I can't believe the serenity of my tiny alley studio—a one-car garage that used to be our son's forge. A coat of paint and a new glass door bring light into the space, and I look directly out onto Rock Creek Park. The best part about it, though, is the curious and supportive neighbors and friends who walk by and follow my progress.

Primarily cone-6 porcelain, at the moment Standard 365 or 213

Cone 6-ish

I handbuild with slabs, press molds, and pinching.

I think of my sprigs as a form of surface treatment.

I love making tools. My favorite is a claw-like device that cuts multiple 1/4-inch strips in one go!

Whimsical

It allows for unfettered experimentation.

X-Acto knife

A glaze kitchen, storage for finished work, and an extruder

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

I don't fire work if I know it's not up to par, and I'm a fastidious reclaimer.

I take full advantage of the museums in Washington, DC, and play in other materials. I also love hiking.

I make a lot of lists: to make, to buy, to test, to do....

Currently, I am challenging myself to make work in relationships.

A thin, white, translucent porclain bowl made with layered thin strips fired to cone-10 in reduction.

I love to test glazes, having super vision to see the results instantaneously would be very cool.

The more technical aspects of ceramics—deeper material knowledge.

Ursula Hargens. She taught me about the importance of form.

Everything--music, podcasts, audiobooks

I thrive on constant problem solving and research.

Rachel Whiteread's casts of objects/voids in plaster or glass or rubber are so tactile and haunting. She directly inspires my work.

When I get stuck, I sketch in an unfamiliar material—thread, charcoal, cardboard. It helps me loosen up and play again.

I'd make it lighter!