Originally from Tulsa Oklahoma, Valerie Banes Hancock received her BFA in Ceramics and Photography from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 and her MFA in Ceramics from the University of North Texas in 2012. Since 2013 she has been the Ceramics Visual Art Technician and an Adjunct Professor at UNT where she manages the ceramics facilities and teaches undergraduate ceramics classes. She also keeps a studio at home where she makes her work. My functional pottery is wheel thrown and altered porcelain, fired to cone 10 in oxidation in either a soda or electric kiln. I particularly enjoy the way that the altered forms displace liquid and food out of the round and into unique and individual shapes. To emphasize those altered forms, I utilize the soda during the firing, or an applied wash to mimic soda in an electric kiln environment, to offer a contrast in satin and glossy surfaces making the piece not only visually interesting but also tactilely engaging. By creating functional altered dinner and serving-ware, I hope to inspire people to slow down and enjoy their time, while restoring, creating or simply embracing the bonds between family and friends during a gathering or meal.
