Shanna Fliegel: The Poetic Artifact

Shanna Fliegel’s exhibition, The Poetic Artifact, features a collection of ceramic tablets and vessels offering illustrated narratives of both personal and universal human experience. Through printed images, incised lines, and washes of color, layered surfaces coalesce to create an impression of poetic memory reminiscent of both ancient Sumerian tablets and contemporary urban walls tagged with graffiti. Using clay as a narrative conduit, Fliegel explores diverse themes—from the Anthropocene epoch to trauma in human relationships, to the fragility of memory. Her earthenware wall pieces and vessels act as artifacts, recalling past eras, while the permanence of each fired object reveals the very substance of the Earth. The artist welcomes curiosity about the nature of beauty and temporality, and invites the viewer to build their own story.

Shanna Fliegel grew up in New Jersey, close to New York City and the Appalachian Trail, which shaped her love for both urban spaces and the natural environment. After graduating with a BFA from James Madison University in Virginia, Fliegel participated in residencies at the Cub Creek Foundation, Greenwich House Pottery, and the Archie Bray Foundation. Fliegel furthered her ceramic research through international travels to Denmark, France, and Costa Rica. After earning an MFA in Studio Art from Southern Illinois University, Fliegel taught at a variety of schools including Montana State University in Billings and the Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. She lives with her family on the North Shore and currently teaches ceramics at the Governor's Academy.

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