Dehmie Dehmlow
Dehmie Dehmlow
I grew up in Denver Colorado…
in a house full of many siblings and adopted family members. I love working with clay and people. Hadlee (my dog pictured with me here) is always at my side. He is a trusted companion, on this journey with me! When I am not in my studio making or working as a caregiver, Hadlee and I enjoy exploring nature on walks, swims and hikes. I appreciate good food and dancing, anytime, anywhere!
I earned my college degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. While at CSU I majored in Ceramics and Premedical sciences. During school I worked part time as a Certified Nurse Aide and caregiver for elderly. After graduating in 2014, I stayed in Fort Collins for almost three years working as a caregiver for adults with disabilities and sharing a studio with two other ceramic artists. In the fall of 2016, I took a three-week intensive workshop at Anderson ranch Arts center in Snowmass Village, CO. The following summer, I was selected to work as a ceramic intern at Anderson Ranch. I worked as an intern and studio assistant in Snowmass Village for a year.
In the summer of 2018, I was chosen as the Salad Days Artist in Residence at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine. I loved living in Maine and hope to spend more time there. After the summer in Maine, I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I began a year long Post-Baccalaureate program at Louisiana State University. Hadlee and I are currently living in Baton Rouge, enjoying a place very different from home.
To follow more of my story story, check out my Instagram by clicking the icon on this page or following Instagram handle @dehmdehm.
As I construct each vessel I am thinking about configuration. To create layers of proportions, volume and line I collect images of chance scenes, created by the lifting lines and weighty shadows found in the doorways and windows of old barns, sheds and homes. These architectural structures have moved through time, enhanced by aging. Structures of the pots and groupings are built up and broken down, embodying assertive compositions.
Using material and steps in the making process I record marks, shapes and construction, leading the user in and out of each structure. Rhythm is created through the succession of shapes and color found in the profile, opening and surfaces of each pot and set. Color is an activating focal point for dynamism that resonates through the conversation between layers, edges, and endpoints of soft and hard geometry. Vessels take on strong gesture as you move through each configuration of parts. These complicated compositions become approachable and engaging.
