Photo by: Frank Ishman
-
Beverly Morrison (Los Angeles, California) is an American artist who attained a B.A. in Studio Arts, with an emphasis in sculpture, from California State University of Long Beach. After college, her studies in sculptural ceramics were furthered through participating in workshops with acclaimed artists such as Peter King, Stan Bitters and Gwen Heeney.
Beverly developed her relationship with the art of making from a very early age, motivated by her parents’ blend of artistic talents and analytical reasoning. Her childhood was filled with an abundance of creativity and resourcefulness, fostering a keen appreciation for the craft of working with one’s hands.
The most significant lesson she took away from her childhood was ‘the art of observation’ imparted by her mother. This form of domestic education played a crucial role in Beverly's artistic development, this daily practice culminated into a lifetime of studying details, patterns and connections within the environment. This long-term interest in the natural world was viewed as a constantly changing sculptural world and provided the basis for a lifetime of art-making.
During her years of study in college and abroad, Beverly was profoundly influenced by many sculptors: Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore for their ability to communicate so much with so little; Rodin and Giacometti for their unrefined expressive textures; Bernini for his ability to transport his admirers to a state of emotional bliss. All these attributes would affect her intensely and become ingrained in her aesthetic psyche for many years.
Although her love for clay didn't spark until some time after her college years, it did not feel like a surprising choice given her admiration for the natural world. Clay, especially, is a material with a life and voice of its own. Using these qualities with her knowledge of form, rhythm, and texture realized from the environment around her, Beverly never runs out of motivation for her pieces as she aspires to create an emotional and sensorial connection between her sculpture and the viewer.
-
As a sculptor, I use clay to bring to life the complex and ephemeral emotions that exist within us. My work is influenced by the beauty and diversity found in nature and the human body, and I aim to express this through abstract and contemporary forms that balance fluidity with structure. The resulting sculptures, which I refer to as “Modern Day Relics”, capture the primitive elegance and raw vitality of the human experience.
Clay, with its unique personality and characteristics, is an integral part of my creative process. I approach this material with reverence and devotion, fostering a symbiotic relationship as I work. Clay absorbs and holds onto the stories I tell, allowing me to express certain narratives with ease and understanding. To me, clay is the flesh of the earth, and each piece I create reflects the deep connection I have with this elemental material and my wish to share that connection with the world.
.
-
Beverly Morrison - (b. 1975)
Exhibitions2022 Vessels + Sticks - Online Exhibit
2022 Ricky Martin Video - “Otra Noche en LA”
2021 Pattern In Nature - WoArt - Online Exhibit
2021 Housing Works - Design on a Dime Benefit with designer Younghye Hwang
2020 Evolved Resolve - InCollect - Female Design Council with the LA Design Festival
2020 Pulse of LA - Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art - Online Exhibit
2019 Made in California - Brea Gallery - Brea, Ca
2019 Clay Matters - Epperson Gallery - Crockett, CA
2017 Visions in Clay - LH Horton Jr Gallery - Stockton, CA
2017 International Ceramic Exhibition - Blue Line Gallery - Roseville, CA
2016 Petite Beauty - Jed Malitz Gallery V2 - New Orleans, LA
2014 Group Show - Keystone Art Gallery - Los Angeles, CA
2014 Master Blasters of Sculpture VI - The Hive Gallery - Los Angeles, CA
2014 Generate Group Show - Keystone Art Gallery - Los Angeles, CA
2011 Illusions of Reality - Sedona Artist Coalition - Sedona, AZ
2010 Faculty Art Exhibition - Verde Valley Community College - Clarkdale, AZ
1998 Puno do Fusione - Galleria Via Larga - Florence, Italy
Education
1999 B.A. Studio Arts, CSULB - Long Beach, CA
1997 Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze - Concentration in Sculpture - Florence, Italy
1995 AA Studio Arts - Raritan Valley Community College - Raritan Valley, NJ
Press
2022 LUXE Interior + Design Magazine - “Raw and Refined”
2021 Obsessed with Art - 27 “NEW” Mid-Century Modern Artists to Watch -
2020 Shout Out LA - Meet Beverly Morrison - Sculptor
2020 WALLPAPER - The Female Design Council launches grant for Black Womxn in design
2020 40 Innovative Womxn Designers Debut Spectacular New Works At "Evolved Resolve"
2018 VoyageLA - Inspiring Stories - December 2018
2018 LA/HOME Magazine - Spring/Summer Edition
2017 Ceramic and Pottery Arts Resource - Venice Clay Artist.com
2014 Erica Nicohls - Artist Feature: Beverly Morrison, Ceramic Sculptor - 30MilesEast.com
Production
2019 Tanya Bonakdar Gallery - Ernesto Neto - ‘Children of the Earth’ Installation
Collections
Various private collections throughout the United States, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Organizations
2022 - Female Design Council
2022 BOH - Business of Home
2021 - Current ArtAxis
2020 Women’s Caucus for Art - Los Angeles Chapter
Teaching
2019 Blue Roof Studio Summer Festival: Clay Workshop
2018 Craft Contemporary Museum: From Earth, to Farm, to Grain, to Table Workshop