Melissa Mytty

Melissa Mytty was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.  She received her BFA in ceramics from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit in 2005 and her MFA in ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 2007.   She then moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be a Resident Artist at The Clay Studio from 2007 through 2012.  Mytty’s work focuses on the vessel format created by hand building techniques of pinching and coiling.  She is intrigued by combinations of patterning such as the play of polka dots juxtaposed by prints reminiscent of elegance and formality.  Her surfaces are eccentrically patterned with layers of pigment, glaze and luster. Mytty has exhibited nationally and is currently living and working out of her studio in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

Artist Statement

The ceramic vessel is the focus of my investigation in my studio.  I make forms using both pinching and slab building techniques. I enjoy combining various colors and techniques to achieve depth of surface and interesting results.  The glaze is brushed onto the pots so the surfaces take on a painterly quality.  I see the surfaces as a combination of Color Field painting converged with Ben Day dots of Pop Art. The surfaces are layered with under glazes, glazes and luster; I am interested in the combinations of these materials and their resulting emotive qualities.  In some areas, there are four or five layers of glaze that create a depth of field concealing underlying colors in some areas and revealing in others.  I strive to make beautiful, colorful and happy artwork to function well and bring joy to every day objects.