Sharon Bastin, Porcelain Sculpture
About the Artist and Work
Sharon Bastin has lived across the United States and Germany, taking inspiration from the animals and nature she encounters travelling the world. She is in awe and intrigued by how similar and different we are from the natural world in habits and habitats.
Spending significant time both on the water and in the woods, she has seen and experienced beauty she wishes to illuminate in porcelain. Her sculptures reveal subtle details, capture experiences and reconnect the viewer to nature. Even if the viewer has seen the animal, they are encouraged to have a shared personal moment with the creature, appreciating every detail.
Sharon utilizes porcelain and the somewhat unpredictable coloring processes such as Raku and Soda firing to invite a natural influence into determining the colorful outcome of the piece. These firing practices, rare with porcelain sculpture, enhance the piece and enable a more spontaneous coloring reminiscent of the pure and impulsive encounters she is honoring. The bases are created using natural materials reminiscent of the animals’ place in nature.
She has shown her work across the United States for more than ten years and has won numerous awards. She currently teaches in Florida and has been invited to exhibit her work at the Florence Biennale XV this October in Florence, Italy.
Education
BFA, Ceramics, Florida Atlantic University 2018
AA Degree, Studio Art, Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 2014
Paralegal Certification, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 1993
BBA Marketing, Stetson University, Deland, Florida 1991
Awards
A Day in the Life of Palm Beach, Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, Florida, First Place 2024
Artigras, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, First Place Ceramics 2022
What Goes Bump in the Night, Las Vegas, NV Honorable Mention 2021
Armory Art Center Show, West Palm Beach, FL Best in Show Sculpture 2021
Collections
Dr. Robert and Deanna Harris Burger Collection, Boynton Beach, Florida and Flint, Michigan, Junior, 2023
Shows:
UPCOMING Florence Biennale XV, Florence, Italy October 2025
Fired and Fabricated, Lake Worth, Florida 2025
Armory Art Center, A Day in the Life of Palm Beach, Florida 2024
Life In The West, National Parks Show, Broomfield, Colorado 2024
Lighthouse Center for the Arts Member Show 2024
Palm Beach Fine Craft Show, West Palm Beach, Florida 2024, 2025
Edgar Allen Poe Exhibition, CityArts, Orlando, Florida, 2023
Artigras 2020 (Emerging Artist), 2021, 2022, 2023
LUSH2, Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Tequesta, Florida 2022
What Goes Bump In The Night, Clay Arts Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 2021
Workhouse Clay International, The Workhouse Clay Studio, Lorton, Virginia 2021
Where the Wild Things Are, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, Montana 2021
Armory Art Center 2008, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Lighthouse Center for the Arts 2018
Retail Establishments, Galleries, Publications and Workshops
Armory Art Gallery and Store
Signature City, Magazine, Hometown Artists Shine at Artigras, February 2023 Issue
Animal Sculpture Workshop Instructor, Armory Art Center, Ceramics 2023 - present
Armory Art Center Instructor, Animal Sculpture 2023 to present
Member:
National Geographic
World Wildlife Fund
Friends of the Smithsonian
Donations:
Horses Healing Hearts, "Denim and Diamonds" Event Donation, Sculpture 2025
The Arc, "A Night of Illusion Gala", Sculpture, 2023
Hobe Sound Nature Center, Tales of the Wild, Sculpture, April 2022
