Melanie Gaudet is a ceramic artist based out of Calgary, Alberta. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Alberta College of Art + Design in 2018. She has exhibited at the Marion Nicholl Gallery LRT Walkway, Fifth Parallel Gallery at the University of Regina, and 420 Art Lab at the University of Manitoba in addition to being a short term resident at Medalta, Medicine Hat, Alberta in 2017. Working primarily with clay, she incorporates different media such as paint and found objects to create both large-scale installations and handmade pottery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My recent work is an exploration of how pots can be a vehicle for ideas. In a fast-paced society, full of symmetrical manufactured goods, I intentionally embrace flaws and allow for imperfect visual qualities. I use handbuilding methods to make pots influenced by both painting and personal narratives. The finished piece is a physical record of a moment in time: celebrating the mundane and finding beauty in vulnerability. Afterwards, I carefully consider how they are displayed, assigning an intended situation they exist within. My work explores these around function, identity, and value.

Student Award 2017, Year long 2018/2019