Statement:

My understanding of beauty is rooted in a rural Midwestern upbringing that emphasizes family, fortitude, and follow-through. My work affirms life and is a reminder to celebrate and commemorate the trivial, the tragic, and the triumphant. 

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These sentiments are infused in the collection of functional pots I create, which are delicate in appearance yet strong and resilient in their design and materials. My symmetrical forms communicate sturdiness and utility with details and design elements that are fragile and at times precariousness, reminding users to handle the work – and life - with care. Luscious glaze surfaces and tactile lace-like slip decoration suggests formal use, though my work is appropriate for everyday domestic life. 

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The pots are individually crafted from start to finish, using the potter’s wheel, draping molds, basic pottery tools, and my hands as the means to make parts that are altered and assembled into complete pieces. The damp green ware is decorated with pigmented ceramic slips and finished with cone 6, food-safe glazes, producing forms, motifs, and colors that challenge traditional masculine ceramics.

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Bio:

Jenni Petersen-Brant is a ceramic artist whose work explores the intersection of function and beauty, crafting elegant, utilitarian pottery that encourages daily moments of celebration and presence. She earned her BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and her MFA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she was awarded a prestigious Hixson-Lied Fellowship. Her practice primarily focuses on functional pots with delicate flares and supple surfaces, but she also dabbles in printmaking, mosaic, and craft work.

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An award-winning artist, Jenni has received multiple grants from the Iowa Arts Council and has been recognized by the Society for Glass and Ceramic Arts, the Society for Contemporary Craft, and Ceramics Monthly. Her contributions to the arts extend beyond the studio—she has been nationally and regionally recognized for her service in both private and public arts sectors, including two honors from the Governor’s Arts Awards in Iowa. She is a member artist of the Twenty Dirty Hands Pottery Tour, co-leads the Dubuque Forward Arts Passion Team, and serves on the Iowa Arts Council’s Cultural and Entertainment District Advisory, in addition to her role as Board President of the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society.

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Outside of her artistic practice, Jenni is deeply involved in community development as the Director of Communications for Greater Dubuque Development Corporation. She finds balance in tending to her garden, exploring trails on her e-bike, and sharing her home in Dubuque, Iowa, with her beloved feline companions, Claire, George, and Charlie.