Christopher David White

Christopher White is an American ceramic artist born in Bedford, Indiana in 1976. White

spent his childhood exploring the woods and hills of Indiana, often exploring abandoned homes

and dilapidated structures. These explorations brought many “combination of colors, materials,

smells, sounds, and textures overwhelming the senses” said White. The world brought much

inspiration to his current style of ceramic art.

Christopher White began his career in arts drawing and painting. White did not begin to

heavily work with clay until 2008, at 32 years old. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in

Ceramics from the University of Indiana in 2012. He pursued a greater education as he continued

the path in art and received a Masters of Fine Arts in Clay from Virginia Commonwealth

University in 2015. He was awarded “Most Environmentally Conscious” in 2014 by Denise

Markonish. His work soon began to be featured in many art publications such as This is

Colossal, My Modern Met, Beautiful Decay, and Juxtapoxz.

Christopher White sculpts with much detail, imitating decaying pieces of wood, rusted

metal, and other material in different stages of deterioration. His work is all handmade,

mastering the art of sculpting. What Christopher White has to say about his work is that “Change

is a constant reminder that permanence is the ultimate illusion. It is through the creation of

hyper-realistic sculpture that I explore the relationship between nature, man, and the

phenomenon of impermanence. I seek to expose the beauty that often results from decay while,

at the same time, making my viewer question their own perception of the world around them. To

accomplish this, I begin by observing instances of decay within my surroundings that I find

inspiring due to form, color, or texture. With clay as my medium of choice I then meticulously
render by hand those elements, taking advantage of clay’s innate ability to mimic a wide variety

of materials. I utilize trompe l’oeil as a stylistic choice to emphasize the concept that our

understanding of the world is an illusion. The juxtaposition of natural and man-made features in

combination with the skewing of scale, proportion, and material, helps in creating an altered

perception – forcing the viewer to look closer.”

My personal opinion on the work of Christopher White, is that it is very impressive. I am

amazed at the intricate detail, and the realist-looking art he creates. His ability to turn clay into

such elaborate details, mimicking wood and other decayed materials, is magnificent. Whites’

work includes an earthly color palate, seeming it is made out of materials one would find

recycled or deep in the woods. It is intriguing to see how well of a story Whites’ work tells. His

sculptures are amazingly done with emotion, almost as if they were saying a story. One can feel

the emotions of the sculpture as it is carefully analyzed. I enjoy the simplicity, yet powerful

statements he tells through his art. A quote the author said that showed me his purpose through

his art is “Human is to nature as skin is to bark – as roots are to veins. Humanity is inextricably

linked to the natural world. Our biological patterns are echoed throughout the universe, from the

micro to the macro, from our DNA to the cosmos. Yet we have created barriers between

ourselves and nature. We have placed ourselves into opposition with this world that sustains us.

We have become outsiders to everything that makes us who we are. My current work explores

our relationships to nature and how our daily interactions affect the fragile balance between

humanity and the environment.”

 References

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4774&context=etd

https://christopherdavidwhite.com/index.php/en/about

https://www.habatatgalleries.com/artist/christopher-david-white/