Reena Kashyap has been deeply engaged in making ceramics since 1989
Reena Kashyap had a corporate career before she entered the field of ceramics, setting up her own studio in 1989 to make functional porcelain and stoneware pottery. She participated in several regional juried craft shows and group exhibitions in the tri-state area of New York. Her work has been published in several magazines.
Reena's passion for clay, people and community brought her to serving as the founding Executive Director of the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, New York. Clay Art Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the ceramic arts through education, exhibitions, artists services and outreach programs. After serving as Executive Director for 15 years, she retired in 2012.
Reena currently spends her time teaching, making pots in her studio and serving as a Board Member of Clay Art Center and the National Council on Education of the Ceramic Arts (NCECA).
MY PROCESS
I use porcelain clay to make wheel thrown pots which are altered or enhanced by hand built elements.
I mix my glazes from recipes that were developed by potters whose work I admire which I have adapted it to use for my personal aesthetic sensibility. Currently, I mostly use Shino glazes and decorate the surfaces, making marks with wax resist, iron oxide and black underglaze. The glaze firing is in a high fire gas reduction kiln to Cone 10.