Gwen Friedman

Gwen Friedman was raised in Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Here she developed an early appreciation for earthy, African vessels, designed for daily use.

Trained at the Kim Sacks School of Ceramics in Johannesburg, South Africa, this aesthetic strongly influences her work, expressed through subtle, natural hues, and surfaces of unglazed ‘naked’ clay. Continuing her studies through ceramics courses in Toronto, Friedman works from her downtown Toronto studio producing minimalist ceramic art that balances form and function.

Her work includes both thrown and hand built vessels. The outside of her pieces are left unglazed, to evoke the tactile texture of natural clay. Her work is decorated with a fluid simplicity, using a soft palette of coloured clays and slips.  The interior of her pieces are glazed, to ensure they are food safe.