ARTIST STATEMENT

My inspiration comes from microscopic images of various cells and microorganisms as the basis of all life. I am intrigued by dichotomy between the enormous beauty of these images and the fears or repulsiveness that people often have when faced with viruses or bacteria. I love the idea of questioning our relationship with the world inside of us. In the same way as microorganisms are multiplying and spreading, so are my pieces. I find great excitement in making yet another similar but totally unique piece.  

My work is very much process driven with images and forms almost spontaneously coming as I work. I mostly work with white stoneware coated with terra sigillata. I use slip trailing, sgraffito and various commercial and custom glazes to build intricate surfaces. All my work is fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln.

ARTIST BIO

Sasha Bakaric was born and raised in Croatia where she had a successful career in finance and management. Graduate school and family brought her to the United States. Her first encounter with clay was a pottery class for toddlers that she took with her then two-year-old daughter. Sasha felt the attraction and started taking classes and workshops and eventually decided to dedicate herself completely to ceramics. She established Sasha Ceramics in Chapel Hill where she has a fully equipped working studio. Sasha makes hand built functional and sculptural pieces, mostly simple forms decorated with intricate designs.

Sasha received an Emerging Artists Award from Durham Arts Council in 2011. The award helped her purchase a large electric kiln. Sasha is a member of Piedmont Craftsmen Guild, Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild as well an active artist and a president of the board of FRANK gallery in Chapel Hill.

AWARDS

Dino Read Foundation Award – 2016

Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild: Craftsmen Choice Award 2014

Vase finder International – 3rd place Award – juried by Roberta Griffith 2014

Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild: Craftsmen Choice Award 2012

Durham Arts Council Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Award 2011

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

North Carolina Pottery Center – Worldwide Welcome: Global Perspectives in North Carolina Clay – July-Nov 2018 – invitational

Hillsborough Gallery of Art show “Resolutions 2018” juried by Sarah Schroth, Director of the Nasher Museum of Art – Jan 2018;

American Museum of Ceramic Art – Ceramic Annual, Biomorphic, Pomona CA – Juried by Cj Jilek, Oct 2016;

Fine Art at Baxter’s – featured artist – New Bern NC – August 2015;

Horace Williams, solo show, Chapel Hill, NC – Oct 2013;

Buchanan Center for the Arts – “64 arts” – Monmouth, IL (juried by April Gornik)– Sept 2013;

Firehouse Gallery at Genesee Pottery – “History in the Making”, Rochester, NY (juried by Jean Schallenbarger) – Sept 2013;

Strictly Functional 2012– Lancaster, PA – Juried by Jack Troy;

North Carolina Museum of Art – Art of the Auction – juried – April 2012;                 

Chapel Hill Town Hall – juried solo show – Nov 2011 – Jan 2012;

Green Hill Center for NC Art  – Winter Show 2010 invitational, Dec 2010; 

FRANK Gallery – North Carolina Clay Invitational – Sep 2010;