| Ben Owen III | ||
| Birth Date: 1968 |
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Artist Gallery |
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| Ben Owen III is an American studio potter who grew up around clay. He comes from a long line of potters who immigrated from Great Britain in the 18th century to North Carolina to continue their European pottery traditions. Ben spent many afternoons with his grandfather, Ben Sr., and his grandmother, Lucille. When Ben turned eight years old and was tall enough to work at the pottery wheel, Ben Sr. began to share his passion for clay with his grandson. Every day after school, young Ben would try his hand at making a pot on the wheel. Through high school, he carefully studied the shapes, glazes, and traditions of the Owen aesthetic and learned to appreciate the history and legacy of generations of craft.
After working with his grandfather and finishing high school, Ben III received an assistantship in 1987 to teach pottery while studying business at Pfeiffer University. Two years later Ben III continued his interest in the arts by attending East Carolina University, earning a BA of Fine Arts in ceramics. He then returned home to Seagrove, the place where his interest in clay originated.
Many shapes and colors created by his grandfather continue to be produced in Ben’s studio. Asian ceramic traditions are a very strong influence on Ben’s work, as they were in his grandfather’s pottery. In the summer of 1995, Ben III traveled to Japan to be part of a ceramic workshop in Tokoname, Japan. There he was able to immerse himself in the culture that had inspired his grandfather. A culture expressing the importance of simplicity and tranquility in everyday life inspired Ben III to accept the challenge his now deceased grandfather had impressed upon him years before: “It’s easy to make things complicated, the challenge is to keeps things simple.”
Ben III has taught workshops in pottery and kiln building at Penland School of Arts and Crafts in Penland, North Carolina, the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia,the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in Brasstown, North Carolina, and the Arrowmont School of Art in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. These workshops and conferences throughout the US along with a fellowship in Japan extended his continued research. He has said, “My approach to working in clay is inspired by many influences. Tradition and vision merge to forge the future, as I honor the historic Owen aesthetic while creating a unique body of work. Culture—blended with influences in nature—inspires my work. With studies in China, Japan, Australia and Europe, as well as in the university setting, I have continued to create a unique identity from culture and nature.”
Ben’s recent passions have included glaze creation and experimentation. The glaze on his "Melon Vase" is called Chinese Red and was developed by his father. This glaze has become Ben III's signature glaze for over 30 years.
Ben’s works are included in numerous museum collections including the Smithsonian Museum and the Clevelend Museum of Art. Over the past decade, Ben has worked with designers and collectors to create custom works installed in a series of premier hotels and public spaces. He has been commissioned by many celebrities to create works of art, including Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Elton John, Tom Seleck, and Arnold Palmer. He has received many awards and honors, including being named a North Carolina Living Treasure in 2004; and inducted into the North Caroliniana Society.
-Biographical information from benowenpottery.com |
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