Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Koester.
Hi Andrew, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m originally from Effingham, Illinois, and I didn’t know my career path right after high school. I’d been interested in art for as long as I could remember, so I knew I would find some way to keep that in my professional life. I went to Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL, and got a BFA with a 3D focus (2013). I originally went for Graphic Design but decided I couldn’t stay behind a computer for long. After graduation, I went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for my MFA in ceramics (2017). I have taught as an adjunct at Maryville University, St. Louis Community College, McKendree University, and SWIC. I met my wife, Rosemary, while in graduate school; she teaches art at Collinsville High School, and we have a one-year-old son, James. I recently became an Assistant Professor of Art at Southwestern Illinois College, focusing on the 3D division of our department.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think for anyone who pursues art, there are struggles we all face. I would be lying if I had never doubted what I was doing. There is always the self-critique of what you’re making and how relevant it may be. Am I a good teacher? Have I dedicated too much time away from my family? There is always something I am questioning, but I think that also helps create a better artist. Ceramics is an interesting medium because it is permanent, and people could be looking at what I’ve made generations from now. This puts pressure on making sure I am self-aware of what I am doing and thinking things through, not to fill the world with more unneeded objects.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently focused on creating functional objects and exploring more sculptural aspects you can achieve in clay. I have always been interested in how clay moves through one’s hands, can be torn or punctured and leaves such an expressive mark. I am very observant, mostly on the irrelevant, and I try to bring that through my pieces. Ever since becoming a father, this has become more evident in work through seeing how he learns things for the first time, simple things like grabbing toys or the awkwardness of walking for the first time. I use him as inspiration for growth in the work so that it will progress with content the same way he progresses in his learning and understanding of the world around him.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Hard work pays off, and never give up on something you want. I learned that through teaching and achieved my goal of becoming a full-time professor and educator.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.akoesterclay.com
- Instagram: @akoester_clay
