…the kiln makes each piece different….

In the studio, Terry works primarily with porcelain, focusing on teapots, cups, and bowls. He has a kiln that is dedicated solely to soda-firing—a deliberate commitment to this single process. Sodium bicarbonate, with its higher melting point and lower vapor pressure, is introduced into the kiln via a blower attachment, ensuring even distribution throughout the chamber. The result is a glaze surface that is mottled and pebbly, often resembling an orange peel, with delicate flashes of reds, oranges, blues, and greens settling over earth tones rooted in the clay itself.

Despite the variability inherent to the process, what emerges are pieces defined by clear lines and clean forms, shaped with equal attention to how they feel in the hand.

That commitment—to one process, one kiln, one family of forms—extends into Terry's artistic intent. His work invites users to slow down and engage consciously with how a cup sits, how a bowl rests, how hands move through the ritual of serving and receiving. In requiring consideration—the careful placement, the mindful handling—his work resists disposable culture and reclaims the deliberate act of gathering around shared food and drink.

Terry Hildebrand grew up in a small town in Manitoba and now lives in Winnipeg, where he and his partner Miriam Rudolph—both full-time artists—are based. The couple spent significant time in Edmonton, where Terry worked as a ceramic artist while Miriam pursued graduate studies at the University of Alberta. Terry earned his MFA in Ceramics from the University of Minnesota in May 2014, following his BFA Honours degree from the University of Manitoba in May 2007. From 2008 to 2011 he worked as a studio technician in the ceramics department at the University of Manitoba, and in the years since he has taught at Medicine Hat College and the University of Manitoba. His continuing education includes the 2015 Banff Centre Residency Program WOOD/SODA/FIRE/BANFF (with faculty Dan Murphy and Robin DuPont), and he has returned to Medalta in Medicine Hat for multiple residencies.

Aside from his MFA thesis exhibition at the Nash Gallery (Minneapolis), he has exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions: Willock & Sax Gallery (Banff), Quarter Gallery (Minneapolis), the Manitoba Crafts Museum, the Gallery of Student Art, Outworks Gallery, and Ace Art in Winnipeg.