ABOUT
Christopher Russell has been working with clay for over 30 years. In his latest vessels and wall pieces, dynamic in structure and decoration, he is inventing new forms and surfaces, pushing ceramic’s possibilities. Each unique piece stands alone as artwork while complementing interior and architectural spaces.
Russell is endlessly curious about the world around him, finding inspiration in his study of art history, architecture, the decorative arts, literature, botany, and whatever else catches his eye. These interests inform his ceramics, coming through in an unexpected visual mashup.
Studio: Sculpture Space NYC
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Russell frequently works on commissions and collaborations. He has collaborated with designers and clients to produce tile installations and custom vessels for private homes. He was commissioned by the MTA Office of Art and Design to produce a program of bronze sculpture for a historic New York City subway station, the 9th Avenue, Brooklyn Station, where his Bees for Sunset Park are seen by hundreds of commuters every day. His work is also on public view at NYU Langone Hospital, where he was commissioned to create a ceramic wall painting for their Bay Ridge Campus.
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Russell has been awarded spots at highly coveted residency programs, including the KOHLER ART CENTER in Wisconsin and the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine. He began working in ceramics at the Greenwich House Pottery, the storied New York City ceramics center.
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“It is my nature to make things;
I come from a family of makers.”
Represented for over a decade by Julie Saul Gallery in Chelsea, New York City, Russell has been the subject of solo shows at the EVERSON MUSEUM and the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art. His work has been exhibited widely in group shows and fair exhibitions, including The Bernardaud Foundation in Limoges, France, Royal West Academy in Bristol, England, Deutsche Bank in New York City, Paul Robeson Gallery at Rutgers University, and WaveHill, the prestigious public gardens in The Bronx, New York. His work is owned by LONGHOUSE RESERVE, the Jack Lenor Larsen Estate, and other private collections.
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A Massachusetts native, Russell attended Wesleyan University and moved to New York City in 1985, where he has lived and worked ever since.