This Ceramicist Makes Breathtaking Wall-Art Out of Painted Plates
Her largest art installation is comprised of 475 plates.
This Ceramicist Makes Breathtaking Wall-Art Out of Painted Plates
Her largest art installation is comprised of 475 plates.Any gallery wall is worth marveling for a minute or two. But stop to imagine a different gallery wall: one that is aswirl with ceramic handpainted plates that have been inspired by historical paintings, porcelain, and works of art. The plates are arranged carefully to catch the attention of passerby (it definitely causes us to linger more than a minute or two). One artist, Molly Hatch is reinventing the gallery wall with her own unique medium: ceramic plates.
Since childhood, she says, her interests have always been with the arts. Throughout her schooling, one artisan medium became her forte, fine art ceramics. "My career in ceramics has led to collaborations with institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Clark Art Institute as well as collaborations with design and industry," she tells us. "In 2014, I installed my largest plate painting to date with almost 500 plates making up a wall installation that measures 22 feet tall by 17 feet wide. My largest piece titled 'Physic Garden' is permanently on view at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia."
Looking at any of Hatch's work either in person or through her photographs, it's clear as to why she has had so much success with her perfectly placed plates. Currently, she is living her craft as a fine ceramics artist in New York City where she has a gallery and her work frequents the art fair circuit. Aside from her own gallery, her art is on display in various museums around the country. This past November, Molly had an art installation called, "Verse" which is described as "highlighting the visual brilliance of an 18th century Chinese textile, [it] is a gilded deconstruction of historic pattern."
Aside from Hatch's visionary ceramic installations, she also does fine artwork. You may have even spotted her designs before. "I got my start designing tableware for Anthropologie," she says, "and seven years later, I still design regularly for Anthropologie Home, but I also work with about 25 other companies designing under the Molly Hatch brand label."
More spectacular examples of her work can be found at mollyhatch.com. Her historic-inspired ceramics are whimsical in their own right, but you'll notice the same whimsy in her other mediums too. She says that her designs, "have expanded beyond tableware to a wide range of lifestyle products and Molly is actively growing collections of home goods to bring her modern yet traditional designs to the contemporary home."