From Earth to Art: Michelle Im on Finding Voice in Ceramics

In this episode of AART the Podcast, host Chris Stafford sits down with Michelle Im, a Korean-American ceramicist celebrated for her deeply expressive, hand-built sculptures that bridge cultural heritage, identity, and material exploration. Known for her organic forms and poetic surfaces, Michelle shares how her Korean roots, personal experiences, and process-driven approach shape her artistic voice in contemporary ceramics. Listeners will hear Michelle discuss her journey from early artistic influences to becoming a recognized figure in the contemporary art scene. She opens up about working with clay as a medium of transformation and storytelling—balancing tradition with experimentation, and emotion with form. This intimate conversation dives into Michelle’s creative rituals, the tactile nature of ceramic art, and how she infuses each piece with a sense of humanity and resilience. Whether you’re an artist, art collector, student, or admirer of contemporary craft, this episode offers a thoughtful glimpse into the life and mind of an artist who continues to redefine what ceramics can express.🎙️ AART the Podcast features biographical interviews with today’s most compelling visual artists, exploring their inspirations, struggles, and creative evolution through candid storytelling.🔍 SEO Keywords:Michelle Im interview, Korean-American ceramicist, ceramic artist podcast, contemporary ceramics, AART the Podcast, artist interview, modern ceramics, ceramic sculpture, art podcast 2025, female ceramic artist, Korean American art, artist biography podcast, clay art, sculpture podcast, ceramic design, creative process podcastBIOKorean-American ceramicist Michelle Im, aka RATxCHICKS,  was born in Atlanta, GA in 1984 to Kun Sook Im, a home-maker, and Jong Seong Im, an environmental engineer. She has one brother; Sewon Im, who is a financial consultant also living in the US. Her grandmother was a poet and calligraphy artist in South Korea. As a child the family moved around from Michigan to Boston and South Korea. Michelle returned to the US for college and since graduating with a degree in Biology and Art from The State University of New York at Buffalo, she has lived in New York City. She was named one of Ceramic Monthly’s 2022 Emerging Artists and is an award recipient of the American Craft Council’s 2022 Emerging Artist Cohort Program as well as a grant recipient of the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort in 2023. Michelle was a Visiting Artist in Residence at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in 2022 and she was selected for a Distinguished Fellowship at Penland School of Craft during her winter residency in 2023. Before becoming a full time ceramicist, Michelle spent time in the service industry and since 2021 she has had her own studio in Queens where she lives with her partner, artist, John Almanza and her dog Inky. She teaches ceramics at Greenwich House Pottery in Manhattan, NY.Michelle on Instagram: @ratxchicksMichelle’s website: https://ratxchicks.club/Michelle’s PlaylistWu Tang ClanTalking HeadsThe Velvet UndergroundKendrick LamarRichie HawtinJeff MillsMike ParkerLSDXOXO Michelle’s favorite female artists:Christian JoyHaylie JimenezSydnie JimenezKristy MorenoSoojin ChoiMary CassattJoanna PowellEun Ha PaekSulo BeeShea Burke…and many more.Host: Chris StaffordProduced by Hollowell StudiosFollow @theaartpodcast on InstagramEmail: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.A Hollowell Studios ProductionInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: [email protected]© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

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