kirsten stingle

As a Georgia artist and a storyteller, Kirsten Stingle hopes her expressive hand-built porcelain figures encourage viewers to be curious, understanding and open to other points of view.

Artist: Born in Washington D.C., Stingle grew up primarily in Northern Virginia. She earned a BFA in theater at Ohio University and a master’s degree in public affairs from Columbia in New York City.

Stingle has worked in theater and as a social welfare policy analyst, but has no academic training in sculpting or visual arts.

Company/studio: Kirsten Stingle Studio is based in Milton, GA. Her home studio covers almost the entire daylight area of the basement. “When we moved here in 2005 we bought the house because of the studio potential,” Stingle said.

In the beginning: When Stingle looks back at her circuitous route to sculpting, she realizes that the one throughline has always been storytelling – whether in the theater or on her NYC job, gathering stories of people transitioning from welfare to work.

Like for so many, September 11, 2001, was a turning point for her. Stingle was working in the city that morning and decided shortly after to quit her job and pursue her creative passions.

She found ceramics classes at a local community arts program and fell in love. As her ceramic voice developed, Stingle gravitated toward the figure as a narrative vehicle, harken back to her background in theater.

Art & materials: Figures are hand-built porcelain stoneware with ceramic finishes (underglazes, slips, stains, and glazes) in up to 20 layers. Found objects and mixed media from fiber, encaustic, stitching and metal works are often added for detail.

What’s popular:

Wall hangings in range of sizes ($600 to $4,000.)
Non-ceramic (tapestry and embroidery) animals ($500 to $5,200).

Other favorites: Pieces that combine ceramics and fabric.

Favorite tools: A scalpel and a straight pin.

Inspirations:

All things theatrical and mythical.
Natural world.

“I generally work within conceptual umbrellas, in which I explore specific themes,” she said.

Fun, special or unusual commissions: An on-going commission from a collector who periodically requests two or three small, male busts to hang on the wall. Over the years, he has collected more than 12.

“It is also wonderful to look at the collection and see the different finishes, techniques, and themes I was exploring at the time,” said Stingle. “In a way, it is a miniature retrospective of my ceramic work.”

Recent awards/honors:

Recently awarded a fellowship for a month-long residency in France in September 2024 at Chateau Orquev.
Currently exhibiting four of her works in “HEY! CERAMIQUE.S” at Musee de La Halle Saint Pierre, in Paris. Through August 2024. The exhibition of international contemporary ceramics features artists from 13 different countries.

Recent project: Curated a group exhibition at the Bascom Center for Visual Arts in Highlands, N.C. Though Dec. 30.

Titled: “In.Visible: Confronting Modernity through a Mythic Lens.” The multi-media exhibit features 22 artists from across the United States. Stingle has one piece in the exhibit.

Next: