Tyler Quintin

Gatlinburg, TN

he/him

Why Clay?

I am mixed race Korean American and was raised in the midwest in a large, predominantly white family. I was raised without Korean language or culture. Ceramics was the first experience I had where the subject was taught with ties to my cultural heritage. I work in clay because of its history, because of its tactile nature, and because it is a material that I will spend the rest of my life continually learning.

What new ceramics have you added to your collection? 

Recently I've been trying to complete trades with great friends from old and current residency experiences. Knowing the artists and having memories tied to the pieces is very important in the way I collect. Most recently I traded with Jordan Kramer, who I was in residence with at the Morean Center for Clay, for a small wall sculpture.

In an emergency, where you can only save one ceramic object- what piece do you rescue and why?

I have a lidded jar for my undergraduate professor Glenda Taylor, who passed in 2015. Her's is the only piece in my collection from an artist who is no longer alive today, so I would rescue that piece and revive my collection from there.