Biography

Matt Watterson is an artist from Columbus, Ohio, USA who lives and works in Jingdezhen, China. He graduated from The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, in New York, USA. Along with his porcelain design work, Watterson dedicates his art practice to ceramic sculpture, mixed media sculpture, and large scale installation works. He has experience in outdoor large-scale public installation art as well as art handling and exhibition experience. Watterson has exhibited and sold his work both domestically and abroad and has attended residencies, and expositions throughout China, Thailand, and the USA. As a ceramic artist, Matt Watterson finds a certain level of nostalgia and affinity in the cup. He believes the cup is one of the most intimate objects we interact with on a daily basis. It welcomes generously; it asks to be held and brought to our lips. Watterson’s cups are made with a translucent porcelain and are fired three to four times each. They are all hand painted, contain real gold, and are unique in their own way. As a foreign artist living in Jingdezhen, China, Watterson is drawn to the history embedded in the city itself. His work uses traditional techniques but explores Western ideologies and thinking. They meld together East and West with floral and architectural motifs, each dripping and pooling as the city does. The surfaces are rendered slightly out of focus, like looking through a window on a rainy day. Watterson’s work is included in galleries, private collections, and kitchen cabinets internationally.