NICOLE WOODARD
BODY, SENSE

 

“Body, Sense” explores the relationship between portraiture and the human form. Woodard is motivated by her emotional struggles and confronting fundamental traumas in her life. Making is intuitive and helps to create part of herself in a tangible form.

The process-based works represent how our bodies and identities are in flux. Ceramic, figurative forms are layered with stains to expose nuances of the body. “The irregular surface shows the memory of my hand, where I work by pinching the clay. I build directionally with my mark, shaping significant features without alteration.” Pyrography is a technique employed in response to ceramic works. Using molten glass on paper, the artist slowly layers freehand strokes until she is satisfied with the image.

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Nicole Rene Woodard is an artist living in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Kansas, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Nicole was awarded the Foundation Residency at Belger Crane Yard Studios in Kansas City in 2021 and 2022. She has taught foundation and ceramic courses at Benedictine College and the University of Kansas. Nicole is exhibiting nationally and has completed short term residencies at the Hambidge Center and Penland School of Crafts. Nicole is currently the Pottery Technician at John Michael Kohler Art Center, where she supports residents in the Pottery at Kohler Co.