Eric Knoche
June 2009 |  by Sara Baker  |  Issue 68, October 2009
A wood-fired ceramic vessel by Eric Knoche.

There is much more to Eric Knoche’s work than what initially meets the eye. His ceramic vessels are abstracts of human figures, bones, houses or even machine parts. Each piece is hand-built using coils or slabs, and then wood-fired.“Wood-fired surfaces have a unique ability to reveal themselves to a viewer over time,” says the Asheville, N.C., artist.

“Clay is very sensitive to the way it is touched,” says Knoche.“Even if I show someone exactly how I make something, the way they touch the clay will be different, and therefore the final piece will be different.” As a result, he keeps no secrets when he’s teaching workshops.

Knoche began his career as a professional artist just three years ago, after working as an English teacher in India and Thailand. He is experimenting with a new series of large, human-size vessels and a series of interactive ceramic puzzle sculptures.

Knoche’s work sells for $90 to $9,000. It is available at galleries including Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, N.C., Anderson O’Brien Fine Art in Omaha, Neb., and Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville, N.C.