Biography

Heather Lepp completed her Master’s Degree in Ceramics at West Virginia University in 2024. Over the 2023 summer she did a residency at Red Lodge, Montana. Since graduation she has been in residency in Missoula, Montana. We featured her Thesis Project as well as works from her various residencies.

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lepp graduated from the University of Manitoba’s School of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree in 2016. From that time until beginning her Master’s, she interned with Marcelina Salazar (Ontario), Peter Brondz (Alaska), Martin Tagseth (Sask), and Cathi Jefferson (Vancouver Island). Heather was also in residence at Medalta (Medicine Hat, Alberta).

Awards

2017, Marilyn Levitt Prize in Functional Ceramics, Manitoba Craft Council, Winnipeg.

2016, People’s Choice Vote: BFA Grad Show, Winnipeg

Heather Lepp’s functional vessels are uncomplicated and direct. Her emphasis is on clarity of form.

I am inspired to create pottery that fits into daily life with an emphasis equally placed on beauty and practicality. My work evolves as a continuum through repetition of forms that change slowly through time, examination, and use.  

In my studio practice, I chase the minute details of a pot; the way the belly of the form holds volume and space, how the handle feels between index and thumb, the emotive quality of the colour.

In reference to my childhood cabin, my work is trimmed by hand giving the appearance of being hand-hewn. The pieces are then fired in an atmospheric kiln which creates a subtle surface that appears worn as if well-loved through years of use.

Confounded by the seemingly simple task of creating functional ceramics, I am challenged to inquisitively search for improvement. With this intention, it is my role as a maker to create thoughtful utilitarian wares that are used as cherished tools to enrich daily life.

Thesis: Commonplace Series - Low-fired Soda and Earthenware
A lovely aesthetic developed during her MFA thesis project.