When Laura discovered clay it was no accident that she was attracted by its ability to mimic fabric. The dress shop her mother and grandmother owned, with its complement of seamstresses, influenced Laura’s interest in design, color and texture from an early age. Today, the porcelain teapots, vessels, and figures Laura makes are composed as if cut from a dressmaker’s pattern. Fabrics impressed onto flat slabs of clay give texture; darting gives shape and form. Colors are layered: brushed, rubbed and sprayed, resulting in soft surfaces. Exteriors are often left unglazed, allowing the subtle textures and hues to be better seen. No two pieces are alike. Each one is altered until it is, to the artist’s eye, exactly right in shape, color and size. In short, a perfect fit.
Examples of Laura’s work can be found in private and museum collections, including The Smithsonian’s American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, The Fuller Museum of Craft in Brockton, MA and the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC. The Asheville Art Museum is showing her work in the exhibition “Too Much is Just Right: The Legacy of Pattern and Decoration” Feb 2- May 29, 2023. The Kamm Teapot Foundation has several pieces in their permanent collection. Memberships include the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the James Renwick Alliance. See Laura’s work in person at Odyssey Gallery of Ceramic Arts in Asheville or visit her website www.laurapeery.art where you can inquire about available work or link to her (often sold out) Etsy shop.