biography
dawn renee currently resides in Tucson, Arizona. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her Raku sculptural works are created by assembling many pieces to create one. This pattern of design is further explored through her botanical subject matter, by fusing what is found in nature with form in clay. She utilizes the post-reduction firing technique as a way of pushing the spectrum of color within her glaze work, often experimenting with formulas created by renowned Raku artists of the 1960’s & 70’s, Reigger, Leach, etc.



statement
I feel my work crosses between 2- and 3-dimensional lines, inviting the viewer to become active with the work, examining what is often seen in nature but seldom touched. The work I produce is Raku, which comes alive when pushed to extreme conditions. It is a symbiotic relationship between earth, fire and air. My approach to the work is best understood by translating the Japanese verb Haiken Suru to look at something, not just with an intellectual eye, but also with an intuitive sense.



process
I begin working with a coarse clay body which I manipulate by rolling, hand-building or throwing on the wheel. Working from sketches, the many pieces that will become the sum sculpture are created. Often botanical specimens are sought out to become part of what I create and at times are left to burn out in the fire. Using various application techniques, the work is glazed. Raku firing techniques are unique, as the work is not initially bisque fired, only fired once and in many cases, serving as both bisque and glaze fire. The kiln is loaded and brought to a temperature on average of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, it is then opened and red-hot work is removed with tongs. The pieces are placed into reduction bins with sawdust, paper or other combustible materials and allowed to burn for a bit, and then the bins are closed airtight, allowing the work to go through the reduction process. This process allows the glazes to reach all the colors within their spectrum as the unglazed body absorbs the carbon thus creating the Raku signature.



born
1964 Hammond, Indiana

education
1983-84 Illinois State University
1989-94 BFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL

exhibitions
2009 Studio E Gallery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
2008-09 La Jolla Contemporary Fine Art, La Jolla, CA
2008-09 CODA Gallery, Park City, UT
2007-09 CODA Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
2007-09 Seven-O-Seven Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2000-09 Niemann Hayden Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ
2005-08 Copper Shop, Bisbee, AZ
2007&08 Lariets & Lace, Arizona Blind & Deaf Children’s Foundation Benefit,
Tucson, AZ
2007 Paradise, So. AZ AIDS Foundation Benefit, Tucson, AZ
2001-06 Obsidian Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2002-03 Virginia Breier Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2000 Hermitage Shelter Benefit, Elizabeth Cherry Contemporary Art, Tucson, AZ
2000-01 Director’s Platform, Industry-a Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2000 No Red Dots, Elizabeth Cherry Contemporary Art, Tucson, AZ
2000 Team 2000, IDAO Gallery, Chicago, IL
1999 Above & Beyond, October Gallery, Houston, TX
1999 Botanical Images, Apparatus Gallery, Tucson, AZ
1999 Stirred Not Shaken, DeGrazia Gallery, Tucson, AZ
1998 Paper Prayers, Café Magritte, Tucson, AZ

collections/commissions
Aviano Community Center, Scottsdale, AZ
Banner Estrella Hospital, Glendale, AZ
Gainey @ DC Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
Robson Ranch, Casa Grande, AZ
Seville Country Club, Queen Creek, AZ
Scottsdale Conference Resort, Scottsdale, AZ
Elizabeth Arden Red Door, Wig Wam Resort, Litchfield, AZ




collections/commissions (cont.)
Mr. & Mrs. K Young, Paradise Valley, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. I. Erlich, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. B. Vail, Paradise Valley, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. L. Boyton, Phoenix, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. L. Martin, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. J. Miller, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. D. Lenz, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. R. Stark, Scottsdale, AZ
Ms. M. Dominiak, Scottsdale, AZ
Ms. S. Gillette, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. K. Goodman, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. J. Olson, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. F. Grant, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. B. Levy, Scottsdale, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. P. Glick, Scottsdale, AZ
Ms. P. Gieringer, Paradise Valley, AZ
Ms. J. Middleton, Paradise Valley, AZ
Mr. & Mrs. M. Stoll, Scottsdale, AZ
Ms. J. Koller, Tucson, AZ
Mr. N. LaRocco, L.A., CA
Mr. E. O’Shaughnessy, Chicago, IL

museums & lectures
1999 Please Touch, Group Exhibition, Tohono Chul Cultural Museum, Tucson, AZ
2000 Raku & the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Lecture/Demo, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ
2008 Please Touch Again, Group Exhibition, Tohono Chul Cultural Museum, Tucson, AZ

curatorial
2001 Juror, Annual Exhibition, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ
2000-01 Director of monthly exhibitions, Industry-a Gallery, Tucson, AZ
1995 Around the Coyote, Wicker Park Arts District, Chicago, IL
1995 Ero’s Passage, Wicker Park Arts District, Chicago, IL

memberships
1999-2009 ACC American Craft Council, New York, NY
1998-2002 SACA Southern Arizona Clay Artists, Tucson, AZ