"I work from the perspective that life is fleeting. That belief lends to the urgent and spontaneous nature of my sculptures. "Did I do enough in my life? Did I live in fear too often? Did I challenge myself to taste greatness?"

The fundamentals I gained from apprenticeships and production work early in my career have equipped me with a fearless method of creating sculpture - evolving rapidly. Although I spent many years working as a functional potter, I eventually found myself feeling confined by the restrictions of function. I wanted to create work that would challenge notions of what clay should be and do and look. Because of that desire I feel that my sculptures are intuitive and uninhibited and emphasize the value in taking risks.

Each sculpture is built from monolithic slabs of clay and thrown forms to create large, dynamic pieces. Instead of hiding the seams, I emphasize them by using unorthodox tools to seal the joints and create texture. The spontaneity of the building process is obvious when someone looks at the final product. The torn forms, unconcealed joints, and bent slabs reinforce the urgency I hope to convey my work."

Shadow May is a self-taught, award winning ceramic artist. He was born and raised in Homer, Alaska, but now calls Chattanooga, Tennessee, home. The fundamentals he gained from apprenticeships and production work early in his career equipped him with a fearless method of creating sculpture — evolving rapidly. Although he spent many years working as a functional potter, he began to feel confined by the restrictions of functional pottery. Because of the desire to push from function to form, his current large, hollow, teetering forms and opaque glazes emphasize the value of taking risks. May’s ceramic sculpture marries a studio artist’s discipline with an experimental performer’s mentality. His commitment and knowledge of the medium only encourages him to take greater risks. He welcomes mistakes and struggles and he seems to believe it brings a greater sense of resolve and presence to each form. In 2015, May received the "Best New Exhibitor Award" at the Smithsonian Craft Show and he will be a featured artist/demonstrator/ lecturer September 2015 at the Bascom Center for Visual Arts annual symposium in Highlands, NC. May teaches workshops nationally and has been published in Ceramics Monthly and Clay Times. He has exhibited his work across the country in over a hundred juried fine arts shows.