Clary Illian • Minnesota Potters Tour and Sale of the Upper Saint Croix River Valley

<< Previous

Clary Illian - Guest Potter at Guillermo Cuellar's studio

After a long career making stoneware and porcelain pots, I have switched to earthenware, and I find it is prompting a more light-hearted approach. My functional intention is intact, but I'm having fun with image and pattern and lingering longer over each piece.

I am an Iowa native and I graduated from the University of Iowa in 1963 with a BFA. In 1964 and 1965 I served an apprenticeship at Bernard Leach Pottery in Cornwall, England. Since 1966 I have made my living as a full-time utilitarian potter; in other words, I make pots for people to use with food, drink and plants. My studio is in Ely, Iowa and is open to the public. I have taught semesters and workshops in art schools and craft teaching institutions across the United States and Canada. In 1999 my text, A Potter's Workbook, was published by the University of Iowa Press.

Clary Illian
Box 191
Ely, IA 52227
(319) 848.4963