Barrel Maker Pottery is the studio of ceramic artist Chris Cooper.
Based in Portland, Maine, Cooper creates both functional pottery and sculptural work that explores the relationship between form, function, and inviting surfaces. Rooted in traditions of utility and daily ritual, his work emphasizes comfort, invites closer examination through surface markings and become familiar with time.
Drawing from American folk pottery tradition alongside the aesthetics and philosophies of Japanese and Korean ceramics, Cooper’s practice begins with traditional forms with contemporary concerns. His work often engages the visual language of mark-making, incorporating gestural surfaces and asemic writing—marks that suggest text but are absent of direct meaning. Through these surfaces, he investigates how language, literacy, and cultural context shape interpretation, creating objects that exist between recognition and ambiguity .
Cooper works primarily in high-fired stoneware, utilizing atmospheric kiln firing processes including wood, salt, soda, and reduction firing. These methods introduce elements of unpredictability—flashing, ash deposits, and surface variation—that actively participate in the finished work, reinforcing an interest in the dialogue between intention and process.
Cooper is an educator teaching ceramics at the University of Southern Maine, Southern Maine Community College, and Portland Pottery Studios. He has taught at various other ceramics studios in Maine including courses and workshops for children, teens, and adults.
Cooper’s work is available through select shops in the Portland area as well as his online store.
I can be reached by email at: barrelmakerpottery@gmail.com