Woodstock, NY / Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg
MEDIUM
Stoneware fired in an oxidation atmosphere.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
UNDER A PINK SKY: LIFE ON PLANET X, Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg, FL, Upcoming 2024
THE TIME IS NOW!: THE CERAMIC ART OF CRAIG WOOD, Woodstock Artists Association & Museum (WAAM), Woodstock, NY. Juror Tim Slowinski, 2009/2010
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
FAR & WIDE NATIONAL, WAAM, Juror Shazzi Thomas, Director, The Painting Center NYC, Woodstock, NY, 2023
FLORIDA CRAFTART MEMBERS' SHOW 2023, Florida CraftArt Gallery, St. Pete, FL, 2023
FOUNDERS GALLERY SMALL WORKS, WAAM, Juror Matt Frieburghaus, Associate Professor of Digital Media, Marist College, 2019
SMALL WORKS (recipient of the Anne Helioff/Benjamin Hirschberg Award for best in show), WAAM, Juror Lindsey Guile, Curator, Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery, 2019.
NEW CONTEMPORARY: HIGH ART, LOW ART, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, Keep Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM, Juror Jared Antonio-Justo Trujillo, 2019.
MATTERS OF THE HEART, Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, 2019.
WINTER IN AMERICA, Gallery 114, Portland, OR, 2019.
SMALL WORKS (honorable mention), WAAM, Woodstock, NY. Juror Sara Pruiksma, Curator, Athens Cultural Center, 2017.
BIENNIAL JURIED CERAMICS EXHIBITION, NAU Museum, Flagstaff, AZ. Juror Kurt Weiser, Head of the Ceramics Department and Regents Professor, Arizona State University, 2009
INK & CLAY 35, Kellogg University Art Gallery, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA. Juror Christy Johnson, Director & Curator, American Museum of Ceramic Art, 2009
WINTER, WAAM, 2008
AMERICAN SCENES, WAAM, Juror Patricia Phagan, Vassar College Curator of Prints, Francis Lehman Loeb Art Center, 2007
BY INVITATION
DEEP SATE curated by Stuart Klein, Wired Gallery, High Falls, NY, 2018
ART FORAY AT MOHONK presented by Wired Gallery, High Falls, NY, 2017
MEMBER ARTIST SOLO WALL by invitation of Exhibitions Committee, WAAM, Woodstock, NY, 2015
TEN TOWERING ARTISTS, University Club, Tulsa, OK, 2010
UK/OK: EXPLORING TRADITIONS IN CONTEMPORARY DESIGN curated by Scott Perkins, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions, Price Tower Arts Center, Bartlesville, OK, 2010
PUBLICATIONS
500 TILES: An Inspiring Collection of International Work published by Lark Books, juried by Angelica Pozo, 2008
CLAY TIMES, work included in featured work gallery, May/Jun 2009
ART FOCUS OKLAHOMA, work featured in review of UK/OK EXPLORING TRADITIONS IN CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, Sep/Oct 2009
WOODSTOCK TIMES, solo exhibition featured in art review, Dec 2009
ASSOCIATIONS
Morean Center for Clay, St. Pete, Fl. Member artist since 2020
Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, Woodstock, NY
STATEMENT
My current work explores the concept of hybridity and the possibilities of otherworldly life forms. I am particularly interested in creating ceramic sculptures that embody a sense of otherness and challenge our assumptions about what constitutes a living being.
These creatures are composed of various organic and mechanical parts that are fused together in unexpected ways. Some of them have tentacle-like appendages that suggest a level of sentience and mobility, while others have intricate geometries that defy conventional biological structures.
My intention is to invite viewers to question our assumptions about life, intelligence, and the boundaries between organic and inorganic matter. By presenting these hybrid creatures in a tangible, three-dimensional form, I hope to spark a sense of wonder and curiosity about what other forms of life might exist beyond our own planet.
Through my art, I aim to push the boundaries of our imaginations and encourage a deeper appreciation for the diversity of life in the universe. Whether these hybrid creatures exist only in our minds or in some distant corner of the cosmos, I believe that they offer a window into a world of possibility and creativity that is just waiting to be explored.
BIO
Craig Wood is an American artist based in Woodstock, New York. Born in 1961 in Orlando, Florida, Wood developed a love for ceramics in early adulthood. After completing a successful tenure in the world of business, Wood decided to pursue his ceramic art as a full-time vocation in 2015.
Wood’s current work invites the viewer to question common assumptions about life, particularly given the limitations of one’s personal experience. He is particularly interested in the ways in which art can spark imagination and rekindle the sense of child-like wonder often lost in adulthood.
Wood’s sculptural work employs vivid, bold colors, unexpected shapes, and an unusual combination of ceramic and non-ceramic elements. His two-dimensional work explores the concepts of cultural and personal identity, and often employs the use of visual puns and references to art history.
Wood has exhibited his work in galleries and museums across America, including in Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Oregon. His work is included in the collection 500 Tiles: An Inspiring Collection of International Work published by Lark Books, and he has been the recipient of the Anne Helioff/Benjamin Hirschberg Award for best in show at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.
Overall, Wood’s work is characterized by its thoughtful exploration of human experience and its bold, dynamic aesthetic. Through his art he continues to contribute his voice to contemporary art and to the broader cultural conversation.