Artist Biography – Michael Wood

Michael Wood is a ceramic artist whose work blends material curiosity with a refined, gestural aesthetic. Working primarily in porcelain and stoneware, he creates functional and sculptural pieces in a restrained palette of neutrals, black, white, and ecru. His forms explore the tension between structure and spontaneity, often drawing from natural landscapes and built environments to evoke connection, memory, and place.

Michael began his formal training at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design (NBCCD), where he cultivated a hands-on, process-driven approach to clay. Originally pursuing a BFA with a focus in painting and sculpture at Mount Allison University, he has since shifted his academic path to the sciences. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Science in Geology at the University of Manitoba, where his interests in material sourcing, chemistry, and deep time now directly inform his studio practice.

His current research, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and artsnb, focuses on creating glazes from locally sourced minerals—a historically grounded process he reimagines through modern chemical analysis and geologic knowledge. This work reflects his broader interest in the intersection of art, science, and sustainability.

Michael has exhibited at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and was featured nationally as a contestant on The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown. His interdisciplinary approach continues to expand the boundaries of contemporary ceramics, positioning his practice at the convergence of craft, research, and land-based knowledge.