  Kevin Bradford
Nierman
California,
USA
Kevin
Nierman was reared at the height of the bohemian art movement of the
60’s, which explains the unconventional manner with which he
approaches traditional shapes. His mother, a recognized artist
in her own right, encouraged him to paint and repaint the walls of
his bedroom, build sculptures throughout the house and experiment
with all kinds of wall decorations. He pursued his studies at
the Colson School of Art in 1977, then moved into a period of
self-discovery, spending hour upon hour experimenting with different
shapes and clay bodies. Through endless experimentation,
Niermans’ vessels continued to change, but all had one thing in
common - the element of raw
fire. 
Then, during a period of
self-examination, he began to demolish and rebuild his creations,
creating pieces that inspire, yet confound, the viewer’s
comprehension. The symbolism represented by the destruction
and recreation of pieces that are originally intended to be perfect
from their genesis, represents a spiritual journey that all of us
encounter throughout our lives. Viewers of Nierman’s work
intuitively respond to the symbolism presented, due in part to their
familiarity with artifacts from archeological dig sites. They
respond to the metaphorical references to our daily struggles,
where we all struggle to create our place in the world and
continuously respond to the external and internal destructive forces
that challenge us each day. The ability to rise against
the challenges that would suppress one’s spirit is represented in
the strength and beauty that exists in Nierman’s resurrected
pieces.
In addition to creating and
exhibiting his own ‘signature’ cracked pots,
sculptures and installation pieces, Nierman also is the master
instructor at a teaching studio in West
Berkeley, California (USA), known as Kids ‘N’ Clay. The
Berkeley studio, which has been in operation since 1988, invites
over 200 children each week to uncover their own creative journeys
and connections with the
world.
Kevin is represented in
numerous private collections and gallery exhibitions throughout the
world and his efforts to give back to the community have been
documented in the book “The Kids ‘N’ Clay
Ceramics Book”, published by Tricycle Press (Berkeley) in
2000.
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