Thomas Alban and MazAmar Sculptural, origins…

Moving from Savannah, GA to Pioneertown, CA in the fall of 2000, I began working with clay. I did not realize until after I moved here from Georgia how thick the climate is there, not just the humidity or being in a forest, but that energetically everything wants to glom onto you and weigh you down.

Coming to the Mojave I was able to really release what I had not realized I was holding onto.

This desert stripped that away from me. Release, after release, until all that was left was the naked me, the real me, to discover.

The many forms and colors of the Mojave Desert would soon find their way into my work, organically. For instance, the erosive forces of sun and wind on wood as demonstrated in my popular faux bois series -  a faux bois vase so compelling people often ask how I manages to fire glaze on wood. 

Also informing my palette?

The layers of reds and rich browns emerging from old pieces of metal decaying in the sun over decades, contrasted with open blue skies of the high desert.

While I take pride in the true functionality of my work, I also tend to stray into new areas that are anything but ordinary.

Being largely self-educated in the medium of clay, I’m not anchored to old-school thinking when it comes to form and function. 

Each piece is unique and one-of-a-kind, and each has found its way into the collections of many clients from around the world. I like knowing the work will live on.