Biography
Nicole Rene Woodard is an artist living in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nicole was awarded the Foundation Residency at Belger Crane Yard Studios in Kansas City in 2021 and 2022. She has taught foundation and ceramic courses at Benedictine College and the University of Kansas. Nicole is exhibiting nationally and has completed short-term residencies at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, the Hambidge Center for Arts and Sciences, and Penland School of Crafts. Nicole is the Pottery Technician at John Michael Kohler Art Center, supporting resident artists in the Pottery at Kohler Company.
Statement
My work explores the body and existence through objects, the figure, and the making process. I use themes of immediacy, memory, and absence to recreate familiar, personally meaningful forms. I value the craftsmanship and labor involved in handmade objects. Searching, collecting, and arranging are central to my practice. I am drawn to objects separated from the body over time, such as furniture, dolls, armor, tools, and utensils. Finding these objects out of context allows me to build new narratives around them. I sculpt clay quickly and intuitively, intentionally leaving marks from my fingertips and tools to capture my gesture. By minimizing revision, I preserve immediacy. I use minimal color to emphasize texture, form, and composition. The resulting forms evoke a longing for the body and are meant to help facilitate reconnection.
Photo Credit: Kohler Co. courtesy of John Michael Kohler Art Center.