Daniel Labutes is a former professional chef turned studio potter living in Calgary, Alberta. He graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a BFA in Ceramics with Distinction. His work is primarily functional earthenware and explores the concept of unconventional conventional objects. They are made with a combination of wheel thrown and handbuilding techniques.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Some might consider the making of functional pottery in the 21st century to be a subversive choice. If there is no practical need for my wares and no void in the production of cheaply-made and mass-manufactured pots; then my work is a gentle rebellion against the machine of progress. In the landscape of innocuous and mass-produced functional wares, I am making unconventional conventional objects that hope to be accessible alternatives in the view and consciousness of contemporary society. These vessels hope to have purpose: to be used, to be interacted with, to be experienced, and to live among us in our homes as cherished objects.

September – October 2021