In Tandem Gallery is a premier destination for handmade ceramic art and studio pottery, featuring functional and collectible ceramics
by contemporary artists from across the United States and beyond.
Located in Bakersville, North Carolina, the gallery offers a curated selection of fine ceramics available to shop online.

Featured Artist: Eiko Maeda

Now THOSE are some awesome images 📷 - but that doesn’t even do Eiko Maeda’s work justice! Like, how on earth could I even pick a favorite? It’s impossible. That silky satin surface (because all those patterns and colorations are clay, not glazes…) and those delicate pastel tones and just the thinness of her work are something that you need to experience with more than your eyes.
So, please check out our beloved Canadian friend and her ceramics today, and just soak in all that beauty - but remember, it’ll take more than one of your senses to really experience just how great they are!

Featured Artist: Kathy King

See? This is why I’m such a HUGE fan of Kathy’s (and maybe a little envious of her too??). I mean really, it’s all so gorgeous. Just the way she can get across soooo many ideas, and messages, and feelings in her imagery - all done with sgraffito (that’s where you carve through the black and/or colored surface using the white clay-body as contrast…). And I love those funny-faced vases and the ones that look like old 50’s sailor tattoos. So, yeah. It’s pretty much impossible not to be jealous of Kathy’s ceramics. Because, as you can see, she turns mundane clay into precious works of art through her painstaking process. And she’s most definitely a master at it. That being said, I am jealous, and YEP - I do so Love ‘em all!

Michael Bridges

Is it possible to be in love while somewhat terrified?
Yes, yes it is. This is the beautifully made, emotive ‘n creepy work of Illinois ceramicist Michael Bridges! Ducks, frogs, and pigs, in all their insane bizarre-ness. Michael turns mundane ideas - like a bunny basket - from a potentially saccharine sweet theme into an expressive and oftentimes scary composition. NOT what I was expecting, but definitely what I needed. I mean - come on!! Don’t we go to horror movies for a little excitement and a change-up from the overly sweet flicks we see on the Hallmark station?? Well, this is the cure for that disease!
So, if you’re like me, enjoy and appreciate the darker side of things (even if nightlights are needed…). I promise it’s worth the scare!!!

Nancy Gardner

And now, something for the more whimsical kind of person…. This is just a teeny, tiny peek at the work of another Illinois artist - whom we’ve shown many times here at the gallery - who creates these adorable, hand-pinched, intimate gems. A bit of a counterpoint to Michael Bridges’ work, don’t ya think?? Delicate-looking, surreal in a sweet way, and just filled with that human touch. So thank you, Nancy Gardner, for showing another mood that ceramics can evoke.