SJ Pittman is a figurative ceramic sculptor living in Atlanta, Georgia. After working as a psychotherapist for twenty years she turned her listening ear towards clay in 2022. She comes to the work bench with an idea of what an emotion can look like. She works quietly in collaboration with the clay, being mindful to let the shapes, animals, and human hybrids emerge. Sculptures are coil and slab built with detailed molded faces and a range of realistic and abstracted shapes. She uses colored slips and underglaze for surface decoration and minimizes the use of glaze allowing the clay’s natural texture to stay visible.

Though she is self-taught, her career highlight is a one-year mentorship with the internationally celebrated figurative sculptor, Sharon Griffin. SJ’s current body of work explores the interplay between humans and nature through the lens of mythology. She often sculpts small faces to draw the viewer into a more intimate relationship with her pieces rather than creating distance between the art and observer.