CASSIE BUTCHER

Figurative ceramicist Cassie Ryalls Butcher creates “souls,” sculpted human forms that connect people to the deepest aspects of life – and to each other.

“What inspires me to make art is the way human beings relate to one another,” says Ryalls Butcher. “Through my sculpture, I explore human relationships and interactions by stripping the figure of details that would lead to a specific identity, then use the simplified figure to create reflective narratives. Without these superficial or temporal cues, my hope is to evoke a deeper sense of empathy among us. I want my work to have a therapeutic and relatable feel to it that draws the viewer in to empathize with it”

Ryalls Butcher went to Berea College where she majored in Art and Psychology, followed by the Penland School of Craft where she studied glaze chemistry for two months. After her residency at the Odyssey Clay Center, she realized her home was in Asheville, NC.