熊 Kuma is Japanese for Bear. 窯 Gama is Japanese for Kiln. The Mon (crest) is a bear bowing towards the rising sun. Symbolizing the harmony between my Native American heritage and my reverence for Eastern pottery traditions.

Koans are paradoxical riddles used in Buddhism to force awakening. They consist of a dialogue, question, or statement, the meaning of which cannot be understood by rational thinking. The best works of art like koans cannot be intellectually dissected, they must be experienced. The viewer is pushed beyond logic into deeper understandings of existence, here and now. My intent is to invoke this same awakening in myself through the process of creation. I seek, through the act of making, to create Ocular koans accessible on an instinctual level rather than a rational one. This has become the foundational element in my artwork.

It's not the outside of a vessel that is useful...it's the inside. An empty cup is more useful than a full one. Through the process of daily creation I empty my cup. I will not limit myself to any one medium, material or style in my artistic process. Whenever possible I use materials I find in my immediate environment to create my work. The purpose is to make the work of this place and of this moment. This provides me the freedom to let the materials inform the juxtaposition of form, function and concept.

I study both the Urasenke school of Chanoyu and the Ikenobo school of Ikebana. I make various clay bodies and glazes using local materials to create Chadogu (tea utensils), sculptures and mixed-media installations. My current work has been heavily influenced by my experimentation with various types of anagama wood firings that use ash and flame on raw clay bodies over days of firing. I create work to reveal the illusion of control.

Cody Kroll コーディ クロール

Kuma Gama - Clay Studio 熊窯 陶工房

www.kumagama.com