AP Shrewsbury (b. 1984)

Looking back, events often appear more logical than they did in real time. In 2016, a date night class arranged by my wife unexpectedly led me into the world of ceramics. Four years into a hiatus from professional tattooing, I was exploring various creative outlets—painting, drawing, sculpture, collages, and experimental music. Finding a new medium wasn't something I was looking for.

Despite collecting pottery and having friends who are ceramic artists, the turning point came when my teacher, Kay, handed me a small cup. A sudden realization hit me—I am a potter; I always have been. Every prior creative endeavor had prepared me to meet the clay, and I knew I'd work with it for life.

This revelation echoed my experience with tattooing. From the first tattoo, I recognized it as my calling, persisting until an intuitive nudge prompted me to step back. I have learned that disregarding intuition often results in physical and emotional pain.

Tattooing taught me to draw, so naturally that lead to combining my drawings with pottery. I found some sort of creative synergy and this drew attention from collectors, galleries, and fellow artists, contributing to the current global trend of merging tattooing and ceramics.

My mother's early death profoundly impacted me, becoming a blessing that awakened me to mortality. This awareness motivated me to live without regrets, embracing excitement and expressing myself fully.

Themes of mortality and life's transience are central to my work. I explore duality while focusing on the non-dual. Life is serious, but to take it too seriously is to miss the point. Embracing playfulness, simplicity, and kindness, even in serious situations, I celebrate the beauty of life's impermanence. Beyond it all, our true nature is transcendent, and I believe each of us is here to discover that for ourselves.

I have shown work widely from SF, LA, Chicago, NYC, New Orleans, Santa Fe, and Paris just to name a few. It can be found in private collections globally.