The Art of Balance
Artist Statement
The foundation of my ceramic work is rooted in childhood memories of family excursions to ancient Anasazi dwelling sites. The hiking trails at these ruins were often scattered with broken pottery shards, each one etched with its own geometric design. What captivated me then, and still does, was the sense that every fragment carried a secret, a memory, or a story just waiting to be told.
Thematic Exploration
Contradiction and Harmony in Art
I’ve always been drawn to the idea that every broken piece is a small part of a much larger whole. If reassembled, these shards might reveal something deeper, something lost to time. My work is an attempt to explore that space, the fragile intersection of what once was and what still lingers in the present.
The Kooky Klown series was born after reading Tony Hillerman’s Sacred Clowns. The Hopi Kashari (or sacred clown) is a figure who disrupts, provokes, and creates chaos, yet somehow remains essential to maintaining harmony in the community. The clown is a contradiction: both truth-teller and troublemaker. Like a puzzle piece that doesn’t seem to belong, yet without it the picture isn’t complete.
I believe each of us carries a trickster spirit. We are all fragments of something larger. Inside us live forces that conflict, contradict, and challenge. My work is a visual dialogue between these forces, the sacred and the absurd, the broken and the beautiful.
Through clay, I aim to show how fractured pieces might still fit together. I want to reflect an unsteady balance, a kind of imperfect wholeness. These forms hold space for contradiction, memory, and meaning. They ask not to be resolved, but to be witnessed.
Get in Touch
We welcome your inquiries about John Richard Lloyd’s ceramic artistry. Please reach out for more information or to discuss potential collaborations.