Bio

Ellery Ekleberry is an interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver, WA with a focus on using tactile mediums empathetically. Her work revolves around an exploration

of hard (ceramic, steel, wood) and soft (clay, stuffed, upholstered) materials

with an interest in studying the interactions both hidden and obvious.

Displaying her work primarily as installations full of vivid colors and

bright patterns, Ekleberry responds to physical space and creates

other-worldly atmospheres inspired by a desire to understand

empathy and give space to do so. Ekleberry received her BFA in

Studio Art from Albion College in 2018, a Post-Bacc Certificate in Ceramics

from the University of Colorado-Boulder in 2020 and an MFA in Sculpture from

the University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth in 2023.

Ekleberry has continued her involvement with clay outside the studio through

her Administrative role with A-B Projects and as a Kiln Technician at a Portland

Art College.

Artist Statement

Utilizing bold patterns and vivid colors, I create spaces that are a call for empathy, an undeniable cry for compassion and softness towards the human experience. Enigmatic forms showcase these tender moments of supporting one another, allowing the viewer to imagine themselves as any one of the forms within the created environments. A range of hard and soft materials are used in all of the installation moments as a way of exploring each element’s need to accommodate or be accommodated.

Crafts were taught to me as a child as a means of creating empathetic objects. Stuffed animals to comfort children, a knit scarf for warmth in the winter, the ability to mend a favorite sweater… I am now claiming this way of making and translating it into materials like ceramics, steel and woodworking, all while continuing to sew, tailor and design elements that add visual and tactile depth.

Empathy is necessary in order to provide and receive support. It is required of us in order to navigate through a space, being at least loosely aware of an object’s ability to accommodate. I want to give a quiet moment to those who are empathetic enough to receive it, allowing them to be seen within my work as either one of the supporting objects, one of the objects being supported, or as the device used to facilitate their interaction.