Katie Strachan

Rooted in the Pennsylvania German Fraktur tradition, Katie Strachan’s practice merges sculpture, ceramics, and installation to create layered forms that hold traces of memory, ritual, and decay. With a background in fiber and ceramics, Strachan merges material sensitivity with conceptual intent, often blurring the boundary between object and text, relic and record. Strachan holds a BFA in Fiber from the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) in New York. She began her ceramic training as an apprentice in Kanazawa, Japan, before completing her MFA at Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) in Taiwan. She is the recipient of the 2023 NCECA Emerging Artist Award and Third Prize in the 2021 Blanc de Chine International Ceramic Art Award. She has participated in residencies at EKWC (Netherlands) and Shigaraki (Japan).
Artist Statement

“My work explores the fragile boundaries between preservation and decay, materiality and time. Using ultra-thin layers of clay—sometimes folded, sometimes powdered—I create forms that echo textiles, manuscripts, and relics. Influenced by boro textiles and the Japanese concept of impermanence, my process is rooted in quiet, repetitive gestures that leave behind traces of care and erosion. Through ceramic, wax, and other humble materials, I aim to hold fleeting moments in suspension, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the quiet persistence of memory. My works function less as vessels and more as tactile documents—thresholds between presence and absence, stillness and transformation.”

Visit Katie Strachan’s website and Instagram page.