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Professor of Art
M.F.A. (1975), New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University
Biography
Piero Fenci received his undergraduate degree in Latin-American Studies from Yale University, and he earned his MFA from the prestigious New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Professor Fenci has been with SFA since 1975 and has distinguished himself as both an artist and educator. His ceramic vessels have been featured in magazines and books such as Ceramics Monthly, American Ceramics, The Contemporary Potter, and Clay and Glazes for the Potter. He has also exhibited his work from coast to coast and earned a national reputation as a ceramist. Fenci lives and shares a studio with his sculptor wife, Elizabeth Akamatsu, in the small town of Appleby, ten miles north of Nacogdoches. Professor Fenci's work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and in the Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, Texas.
Artist Statement
Intimate scale, the history of use, the tactile qualities of touching and lifting, and, above all, the interaction of surface and form are central concerns in my work. I have developed a deep attachment of many types of functional objects. They include Etruscan pottery, pre-Columbian architecture, Japanese armor of the Muromachi period, Shaker hatboxes and tinware, and traditional Origami. I take these archetypes, filter them through my psyche, and intuitively connect them. My work, therefore, constitutes loosely rendered re-inventions of the past; they are my attempt to build a family tree of spiritual ancestors, a heritage of my own passions.
Teaching Philosophy
First, I teach technique. Second, I teach my students about the heroes and heroines, the folklore and mythology of the discipline. I also familiarize them with the contemporary scene, so that they understand the notion of context, and know what they will confront when they leave school and enter the competitive arena. Third, I attempt to demonstrate to my students how to be an artist. "Artistic Technique", "Art History", and "Contemporary Art" are disciplines that can be taught, but "How to Be an Artist" cannot; the professor can only serve as an example, being engaged in the artistic arena, his or her own hat thrown into the professional arena.
Classes
ART 130 Three-D Design, ART 350 Ceramics I, Art 450 Ceramics II, and Graduate Studio courses
Work Samples
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