I make earthenware pottery which I slip and sgraffito to tell stories. Since making this work I have a new reaction to things that happen in my life, which is “I should make a mug about this.” I strive for my pottery to be touchable and practical, and for the illustrations to be joyous, or at least comforting in some way. I chase the quality of a memory with sensitive line work and soft colors. My characters are informed by storybooks and films that anthropomorphize animals to make everything a bit less real and a bit more charming and funny. I like when my drawings are both niche and relatable. The best part is when people feel uplifted by the pieces and connect the narrative to their own experiences. I want my imagery to exist on utilitarian pottery so it can be seen and engaged with often, on many different occasions, and hopefully, over a long time. 

Celia Feldberg is an artist living in Philadelphia, PA. Born in England and raised in Massachusetts, she earned her BFA in ceramics from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston in 2019. She makes illustrated pottery, teaches, and maintains an active involvement at craft schools. She is currently a resident artist at The Clay Studio of Philadelphia.

“We can't say enough good things about Celia Feldberg's heartwarming earthenware. Her illustrations carry a storybook spirit, disarming us and encouraging us through engaging animal characters who are so human. Her stories find the beauty in everyday life -a quiet moment reading a good book, connecting with a cherished friend, or dancing with abandon and joie de vivre. Celia finds the poignancy and pain too, and her characters know how we feel and embrace us in a metaphoric big bear hug or hold our hand with a friendly sloth's three dainty fingers. Through text bubbles she somehow finds just the right thing to say that we need to hear. Her sgrafitto lines are as sensitive as the moments she describes, and there is a warm glow in her illustrations that suggests strong feeling or memory. Her pots are wonderful, touchable, joyous, and practical. This is brilliant work by an inspired storyteller, captured in the permanence of clay.”

- Charlie Cummings Gallery