©Anaïs & Dax
Q&A
with Kat Hutter & Roger Lee
Our Q&A section features well known artists and designers. In 21 short answers they share with us the little things that define their work as well as their personal life: How do they work? Who or what is their source of inspiration? What's the best piece of advice they've been given? And what's on top of their bucket list?
This edition's guests are Kat & Roger: Nestled amidst the serene landscapes of Southern California, ceramic artists Kat Hutter and Roger Lee have been quietly transforming clay into extraordinary works of art for over a decade. Together, they form the dynamic duo known as Kat & Roger, celebrated for their remarkable fusion of tradition and innovation in their ceramic creations.
The couple's journey in ceramics began in the early 2000s when they met in graduate school at Clemson University in South Carolina. Their shared passion for clay and their mutual creative sensibilities quickly forged a deep connection, which eventually led to the establishment of their collaborative studio. What began as a modest endeavor soon flourished into a thriving partnership that continues to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide.
A defining feature of Kat & Roger's work lies in their unwavering commitment to embracing traditional ceramic techniques while boldly stretching the boundaries of the medium. They are unafraid to experiment with glazes, forms, and firing techniques, resulting in ceramics that are both visually captivating and technically impeccable. In addition their work often features vibrant, earthy tones inspired by the natural landscapes of California, where they reside. These colors not only evoke a sense of place but also reflect their deep connection to the environment and their commitment to sustainable practices.
©Mario Gallucci
1. Who are you and what do you do?
We are Kat Hutter and Roger Lee, creators of Kat and Roger Ceramics. Both partners in business and marriage, we collaborate on a line of hand painted / hand thrown pottery. We met in graduate school, each working in our own field, and years later decided to marry our artistic endeavors to create K&R. We are now 11 years in business and still love what we do as full-time Artists.
2. Tell us how you work.
Kat is a Painter and Roger works in Ceramics. Pieces are usually made on the potter’s wheel, then painted with color and patterns on the surface. It is a unity of two very separate art practices: Paint and Clay.
3. What role does the artist have in society?
An Artist’s role is somewhat complex as there are many facets. In their most fundamental role, an Artist helps others see the world through the scope of a larger context of society, shaping culture through the human experience. And in return, community is what defines the Artist and their role in society.
4. Explain your art in three words.
Vibrant, Raw, Soulful
5. What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
KH: As a child, we would spend each summer in a small cabin on a lake in Wisconsin. I did not realize until I became an adult how big of an impact that experience had and still has on my life. It continues to draw me to elements of water, nature, and creativity. It also gave me a strong connection to family and “home”.
RL: Growing up in LA in the ’80s-’90s, skating. This gave me the freedom and a sense of independence that has shaped me as an adult, possibly the one reason why I chose the path of an Artist. This and growing up with immigrant parents who owned their businesses.
6. What has had a lasting impact on you and your work?
The outpouring of support from our community. We have managed to grow along side a thriving community of Artists and Makers in Los Angeles. Also, the response that our work has brought happiness to people’s lives. We pour all of ourselves into the work, so to me it means people are connecting with us essentially.
7. What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
Both of us have taught at various colleges after graduate school. Our first destinations were moving to new areas for teaching positions at various colleges in Oregon, Lake Tahoe, and Los Angeles.
RL: While in school, I worked in hospitality as a waiter, bar-back, even did room service at a resort in Santa Cruz, CA. It was flexible with my schedule and a humbling experience - if you know, you know.
KH: I have spent time teaching at art camps, working in galleries, museums and retail. Things I have learned from all of the jobs we have worked have made a large impact on how we have built and continue to maintain our livelihood.
©Mario Gallucci
8. What and who inspires you?
Our lives are spent between two very different places, living in Los Angeles and rural Wisconsin. To compare the two would be illogical, because there is no other place like LA. What we have found is the contrast of the two places makes us appreciate living in both. We love LA, but we can also leave the hustle of the city to ground ourselves in the country for a few summer months. It recharges our spirit and we get to see our work through fresh new eyes.
The people that inspire us are those whose purpose has made our world a more vibrant place. I guess that’s why LA is still one of our favorite places to live.
9. Name something you love.
Spending time on, or near the water: Lakes, Oceans, Snow
10. Name something you don’t like.
Ignorance
11. Name some artists you admire.
Eve Hesse, Josef and Anni Albers, Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman, Ernesto Neto, Lee Bontecou, Tanya Aguiniga, Gustavo Perez, Scott Chamberlin, Merek Cecula, Agnes Pelton, Thomas Nozkowski, Bridget Riley, Agnes Martin, Lily Stockman, Tomory Dodge, Pierre Bonnard and,… Leonardo DaVinci
12. Favorite or most inspirational place?
The spaces-in-between….
13. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
One day at a time.
Do everything with intention.
14. What advice would you give your teenage self?
RL: Chose the path of happiness.
KH: Everything is going to be ok, just keep going.
15. Who would you like to be for one day?
An alternate being of ourselves had we not pursued Art as a cereer.
16. Which furniture did you last buy?
Where we live during the summer months in Wisconsin, we are constantly furnishing our house with pieces from LA and what we score from architectural salvage yards, local thrift stores, and estate sales. We have managed to find some amazing pieces that have endured the test of time.
Most recent finds were from an estate sale, 2 dressers made of solid walnut and traditional joinery. They are great pieces from the 1950’s-ish. With a little refinishing, we revived them to their natural beauty.
One piece of furniture we are proud to own is a chair and ottoman from our friends’ Garza Marfa in Marfa, Texas. Beautiful hand crafted saddle-leather and steel construction. An heirloom piece.
17. What’s your favorite place at home?
On our deck: watching sunsets, stoke a fire, scenic views, birding, morning coffee & tea, evening drinks, lots of music, and pleasant conversations.
18. Name your top 5 Record Albums ever.
We can’t narrow that down to 5!
Peter Gabriel, SO
Billy Joel, The Stranger
Erykah Badu, Mama’s gun & Baduizm
Weather Report, Black Market
Steely Dan, Aja
Taj Mahal, The Real Thing
Jimmy Cliff, Harder they Come
Bill Withers,
Nina Simone, Pastel Blues
Prince, Purple rain
19. Which book did you read lately and which one has shaped you the most?
KH: I am currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig. It is a book published in the 1970s which meanders through a journey both physically and mentally into life. It is much more complex and interesting than that, but hard to describe. This book is connecting many of the things and values I think about at this point in my life, and has given me the “chills” moment on more than one occasion. It is still so relevant today looking at the way we navigate through life as working artists.
20. What’s on top of your bucket list?
Going to Europe, Japan and Hawaii together.
21. What would you like to learn?
RL: To play an instrument well.
KH: To speak another language well.
©Mario Gallucci