In a region best known for traditional mountain craft and folk art, JJ Jucick’s contemporary pottery stands out from the crowd. I happened upon his booth at last summer’s Biltmore Village Annual craft fair, and was immediately attracted to the strong, clean forms of his plates, vases and bowls. I liked the linear and geometric patterns used to decorate the pieces, with vibrantly colored squares and rectangles set against more muted earth tones. While lingering at JJ’s booth, I faced to ultimate shopper’s dilemma: how to choose just one special piece to take home when everything was so tempting? JJ kindly offered to make me any size or color combination I might like if he didn’t have it in stock. I ended up commissioning a set of rectangular nesting plates in dark brown with red accents. On our next trip to Asheville I was able to pick up the pottery he’d made just for me, and learn more about JJ and his business, Axis Pottery.
Axis Pottery plate and bowl set. Image courtesy of axispottery.com
JJ started Axis Pottery when he moved to Asheville from Naples, Florida about three years ago. His pottery skills are self-taught, and he cites modern artists such as Mark Rothko and Piet Mondrian as influencers of his work. The squares featured in his pottery designs are inspired by the red square tile Frank Lloyd Wright used to mark his buildings.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature red tile. This photo titled “Signature Block” by Jenn Hokie available by CC license via flickr.com.
The quality and distinctiveness of JJ’s work has been recently recognized at several local art shows. He won Best in Show at the Montford Art and Music Festival, as well as an honorable mention at Weaverville’s “Art in Autumn” festival. In addition to running his pottery business, JJ works as the studio technician at the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Art, which serves as a community for local ceramic artists and offers classes and workshops throughout the year.
