Steve Heineman is considered one of Canada’s premier ceramic artists. He threw his first clay in high school and has been exploring the art form for almost forty years. Heineman finds inspiration in the universal shapes of nature and confesses to having an obsession for vessels. His work can often take years to complete as he experiments with different glazes, re-firing several times over to perfect a texture. This elongated piece in a smooth matte black finish has a deep purple and orange flecked, cracked interior reminiscent of volcanic rock. ‘Ellesmere’ is a ruggedly beautiful island in Nunavut, the northernmost point in Canada.

“He is unequivocally virtuosic; slim sheafs of material set one inside the other seem to mirror an organic process a human hand could only dare to achieve. There’s an intensity to his craft, a labour so densely implicit, the world can fall away, at least for a time.” Murray Whyte, Art Critic

Steve Heineman earned an MFA from Alfred University, NY in 1983 and has taught in Canada and the US. Artist residencies include the Banff Centre, the Cranbrook Academy, EKWC in Holland, ICS in Hungary and Korea (JINRO). Heineman has exhibited continuously since his first solo exhibition at the Ontario Crafts Council in 1982. His work is held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Icheon World Ceramic Centre (Korea), The National Museum of History (Taiwan), the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Museum Boymans van Beuningen (Rotterdam) and The Contemporary Museum (Honolulu). He has received many national and international awards including the Bavarian State Prize (Germany), the Juror's Award (Mino, Japan) Fletcher Challenge (New Zealand) and in 1996 was granted the Saidye Bronfman Award, Canada’s highest recognition of achievement in contemporary craft.

Complimentary shipping in Canada and continental USA (restrictions based on size/weight)