Maura Wright

Maura Wright (b. 1991, United States) lives and works in Helena, Montana. She earned her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2018 and a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. She has held resi- dencies at several institutions in the US as well as the International Ceramics Stu- dio in Kecskemet, Hungary and Guldagergaard, International Ceramic Research Center in Skaelskor, Denmark. Most recently, she was a long-term resident at the Archie Bray Foundation from 2022-2024. Primarily working in earthenware, Wright’s coil-built vessels pay homage to his- torical influences ranging from French Rococo porcelain to Italian fresco painting to American folk art. Bold and colorful patterns are paired with a reverence for romantic classical forms. The resulting pastiche embraces the expressive capa- bilities of clay. Repetitive perfection achieved in traditional ornament is replaced with a decadent facade that highlights the process of the handmade and the im- propriety and insouciance of contemporary culture. While her formal studies were focused in ceramics, Wright’s practice has expan- ded to include large-scale installations of painted paper and wood depicting the domestic interior.