Biography
Elena Ruhieh Meshinchi is a ceramic artist, instructor, and college student. After working at various studios around Seattle for a few years, she first exhibited her work and delivered an Artist’s Talk at the Clay Corner Gallery in the summer of 2024, following the completion of their residency program. Since then, she’s been developing a body of work and assisting Damian Grava at the Westwood Art Studio. She hasThe West Seattle Art Tour, and will be a featured artist at the Westwood Art Studio Holiday Show this December.
She is studying at the University of Washington Bothell, graduating this Spring with her BA in Media and Communications with a minor in Visual and Media Arts.
In the future, I’m hoping to get more involved with atmospheric firings, and am especially excited to assist Damian on the building of a new soda kiln at Westwood sometime in the next year.
Artist’s Statement
Inspired by the flow of the wheel-throwing process, my current body of work is intended to connect the user to the process of creating the art object. By altering my pots as they spin slowly on the wheel, I aim to capture the energy of soft clay within the final ceramic pieces. The organic surfaces vary from one piece to another, as evidence of the hands of the maker, and the time spent on each object. These forms allow me to be creative within the structure of function and purpose. The folds have torn, uneven edges, but the rims are soft and thin. The handles loop and flare out where they’re joined, but they fit comfortably over the fingers. Ultimately, I hope my art is put to work, and enmeshed with the life of the user.
