Adero Willard

Functional Terracotta Pottery from Northampton, MA

Adero Willard creates distinctive patterns using wax as a resist, producing multiple overlapping layers.  This technique creates the illusion of depth with windows and screens that animate the surfaces of her pots.  Willard says of her work, "My inspiration lately has come from designs on textiles—quilts from a number of American cultures - to wedding dresses sewn in India. I play with the qualities of surfaces in the same way that many textile artists design cloth, creating metaphors through overlap, camouflage, veiling, revealing, and decorating."

She continues, "When I was a child, my introduction to handmade craft was through fabrics. I spent time in the sewing rooms of women who made clothes, women who were family or close family friends. They were the women who raised me, my role models, and who instilled in me the stories, tales, and the lessons of life that I carry with me today. Perhaps if I had had the opportunity, I might have become a textile artist. But," Willard says, "a passion for clay grounds me in my craft as a potter." 

Lively and ornate, yet highly functional, Willard's pots are food-safe ad can be used in the dishwasher and microwave.  If you love what you see here or have any questions, please call Pinch at 413-586-4509 or email info@pinchgallery.com.