How would you describe your style? Aged aesthetic with new perspective / eclectic contemporary minimalism.
Do you remember the first thing you made? 15” hand carved porcelain branch. 100 hours carving details of wood, weathered with the texture of worm holes and knots.
Before I started making I… Before I started working with porcelain I was an editorial illustrator for newspapers and magazines, Kinfolk, Washington Post, The Atlantic ....
If I weren’t a maker I’d be... Architect or garden designer (love Piet Oudolf)
Favorite quote or words to live by: “There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen
If I could run away I’d go… To our studio in North Adams, MA.
If you could collaborate with one person dead or alive who would it be? Dead - Louise Joséphine Bourgeois / Alive - Faye Toogood
What would be on your maker’s soundtrack?
M83 “Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun”
If you could learn a new skill what would it be? Wood carving
Favorite artist? VENSKE & SPÄNLE
Favorite scent? Fresh cut grass.
What is the most challenging project you have worked on? Why? 18” porcelain loofah seedpod. After a month of painstakingly hand carving all the detail in a blink of an eye it shattered in the Kiln. Not to mention several other casualties during the firing. A whole week passed before I was able to pick up a carving tool and begin a series of expressed black lemons.
What do you hear right now? A creaky paper cutter and the loud banging of a stapler (Jason is bookmaking).
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? Alex Katz
Where did you grow up? Sarasota, FL
Favorite time of day? The moment in the evening when a slight breeze rustles through the leaves and a warm glow wraps around everything in its path creating long, cool cast shadows.
What is your most treasured possession? A Picasso lithograph bought from Goodwill for seven dollars.
Most interesting thing in your cabinet? My kids’ baby teeth.
What are you currently watching? Schitts Creek, At Home with Amy Sedaris, High Maintenance, art documentaries
What are you most thankful for? My obsessive ability to continue creating work on a regular basis. My stubbornness has consistently helped me get through unexpected challenges during my creative process such as porcelain breaking while carving or pieces exploding during firings.
To see more of Katie’s work visit, www.katieridleymurphy.com or Instagram @wrk_porcelain
*Portrait by Jason Murphy
