Oxford, Mississippi

Ray Brown Ceramics

Utilitarian pottery shaped for a slower encounter — confident line, pressurized volume, surface that invites the hand.

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One form at a time

Sculptural ceramic bowl with wire loop and graphic surface marks
01 / 08

Flower vessel

Pressurized volume. Quiet graphic mark.

Three tall ceramic vessels with graphic marks and textured bases
02 / 08

Vessel group

A conversation in proportion.

Pair of ceramic goblets with geometric stems and gold accents
03 / 08

Goblets

Faceted stems. Fluid washes.

Ceramic mug with teal washes, gold square, and textured foot
04 / 08

Mug

Daily use as ritual.

Soft, inviting, generous, and strong — forms that feel as if they are inhaling.

I make utilitarian pottery with the intent to provide the user with an entrance into a memorable and contemplative experience. I wish to achieve cohesive forms that capture a confidence of line, with supporting crisp and energetic surface decoration.

Both in surface and form, I strive for a captured, pressurized volume within my work. I am interested in translating curvilinear patterns and line work into three-dimensional forms inspired by architecture and the Streamlining Era — jars, flower vases, and teapots that prompt the user to slow down.

Lidded ceramic jar with mustard and teal surface decoration
05 / 08

Lidded jar

Containment as a kind of pause.

Ceramic vessel photographed in studio lighting
06 / 08

Studio form

Confidence of line held in soft clay.

Pair of sculptural ceramic chalices against a white ground
07 / 08

Chalices

Streamlining-era proportion in clay.

Ceramic work with confident line and energetic surface decoration
08 / 08

Assemblage

Surface, silhouette, and the space between.

Ray Brown

Ray Brown was born in Houston, Texas, and received his BFA in Art with Honors from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi under Matt Long. He earned an MFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Ceramics at West Virginia University.

His work has been shown nationally and internationally, including Jingdezhen, China. In 2019 he received the Studio Potter Merit Award at NCECA’s National Juried Student Exhibition. In 2024 he was named a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist. He currently serves as Instructor and Ceramic Studio Technician at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

  • Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist, 2024
  • Instructor and Ceramics Technician, University of Mississippi
  • MFA Ceramics, West Virginia University
  • BFA Ceramics with Honors, University of Mississippi

Recent reels

Process and finished forms from the studio — watch on Instagram for more.

@rlbrown1995

Start a conversation

Inquiries for available work, commissions, workshops, or exhibition opportunities are welcome.