As a child growing up in the Mississippi countryside, Stephen Phillips never imagined that playing in the mud could become a lifelong artistic pursuit.
Today, the ceramic artist is known for his refined shapes and thoughtful surface designs, a far cry from the muddy creations of his childhood.
Artist: Stephen Phillips was raised in the small town of Crawford, MS., and he still lives there. Phillips took his 2007 at East Mississippi Community College, where he received an AA degree in 2008.
In 2013, he earned a BFA from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. Founded in 1884, the university has been coed since 1982.
After graduation, Phillips continued to work with clay in the bedroom of his mother’s home using a tabletop wheel and a small firebox kiln.
Company/studio: Stephen’s Potter House Productions, started in 2015. The clay artist works in a small studio space his hometown.
In the beginning: As a kid, he grew up playing in the mud.
“The fascination of creating from the dust of the earth has always intrigued me,” said Phillips. “I used to play with fire and mud and often used the fire to heat up the mud in a way to cure whatever I made.
“To be honest, I had no clue that this was the process of how pottery was created. I guess it was a natural instinct.”
Art & materials: Mostly functional and decorative vessels, thrown on a wheel, using white stoneware and dark brown stoneware clay bodies ($50 to $500).
Pieces, including jars, handle-less tea bowls and vases, feature a variety of lines, shapes, and color contrasts.
Phillips also uses electrical tape to create patterns and geometrical shapes. When the tape is removed, the underglaze surface is revealed.
What’s popular:
- Decanter sets.
- Pieces from his Black Panther series, which became popular in 2019. The Raku-fired pots are finished using gold wax as an accent against a dark, smoky surface, Phillips said, designed to create a sense of empowerment.
Influences:
- Contemporary art, minimalism and modern art.
- Ceramic professors and artists Ian Childers and Al (Alisa) Holen for the shapes and forms he uses.
- Pueblo Black on Black pottery, African pottery and Asian pottery.
- Ceramic artists: Tony Laverick, Larry Allen, James Watkins and Mary Fox .
Special commission: Create trophies for the 46th annual Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters in 2025 for its annual awards ceremony.
Recent honors:
- Phillips received the 2025 Mississippi Visual Arts Fellow from the Southern Prize and State Fellowships for Visual Arts. 2025.
“This is one of the greatest achievements for me in my career as an artist,” said Phillips.
- Stephen was one of 38 black ceramicists featured in the book, “Contemporary Black American Ceramic Artists.” 2022.
What’s next:
- Upcoming solo exhibit at The Caron Gallery, Oct. 15. Tupelo, MS.
- Teaching workshops at Pocosin Arts, Columbia, NC. June 15-19. Also John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. Oct. 18-23.
Connect:
- Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @sphouseproductions
- YouTube: @stephenphillips6953
- Website: stephenspotterhouseproductions.com
