Hello! My name is Kate Hamilton, and I’m a sculptural artist based in Hood River, Oregon. While I’ve worked with ceramics on and off throughout my life, I fully committed to the medium in 2020. Hand building makes me feel like a kid again - hands in the mud, no rules, just pure play and joy. It connects me to something timeless and silly. I never show up with some big plan or agenda. I prefer coming to the clay empty, open, and curious, and allow whatever wants to come through, to come through.

Lately, I’ve been exploring the connection between emotion and creation. If I’m feeling something deeply — like guilt, for example — I invite that emotion into the process. I set a container and ask the clay to help me move through it. What began as a light, playful, intuitive practice has deepened into something even more nourishing — a space that holds joy, but also tenderness, safety, and care.

Through this journey, clay has been teaching me about true collaboration. Since beginning this more emotional way of relating to creation, I’ve noticed that my pieces don’t feel like they’re entirely “mine” anymore. I bring a feeling to the table, an idea arrives like a spirit wanting to take form, and then the clay offers its shape. Together, we create something that, in turn, invites the viewer into the dialogue — extending the collaboration even further.