Biography
Savanna LaBauve is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and detail seeker currently focused on creating objects with clay. She earned her BFA in Studio Arts with concentrations in ceramics and painting/drawing from Louisiana State University in 2017. Following a two-year ceramic residency completed in 2019, Savanna has collaborated with various artists and arts organizations on Colorado’s Western Slope. Passionate about supporting the creative vitality of her community in Carbondale, CO, she actively seeks opportunities to nurture its artistic spirit.
Savanna is a core member of the MudTies Ceramic Collective and was one of six recipients of the prestigious 2023-2024 Aspen Art Museum Fellowship. She currently works out of Studio for Arts & Works, a space shared by over 25 makers across different mediums. Here, she explores the power of multiples, refines her distinctive mark-making language, and delves into the subtleties of a limited color palette.
Artist Statement
I unearth and collect observations with strong intentions and distinct perceptions, working at the median of opportunity and expression. As an observer, intermediary, and maker of non-traditional drawings, I explore uncommon nuances in everyday occurrences: the shifting density of overlapping shadows, the distortion of light on undulating surfaces, and the obscurity of transparent layers. I focus on the power of multiples as a unit versus the fragility of an individual piece, the obscurity of transparent layers, and the repetition of lines—whether parallels or grids—from our surrounding environments. With these observations in mind, I make ceramic objects, both functional & sculptural. My functional objects are handbuilt & feature subtle variations of a limited color palette: black, white, & raw clay. Each object’s surface explores bold linear patterns, such as hatching, grids, & checkerboards. My sculptural work is installation-based & process-driven. Pulling from my background in painting & drawing, this work further explores the power of multiples: pattern, rhythm, & repetition. Made of numerous clay parts shaped by body movement, the installation becomes a record of time and meditation, with each component serving as an individual mark.
More information about Savanna can be found at: savannalabauve.com