Lenore Rae Lampi is a ceramic artist based in Duluth, Minnesota, whose sculptural and functional works in clay draw deep inspiration from the natural world, especially the evocative textures and forms of birch bark. With a BA in Fine Art from the University of Minnesota Duluth and an MA in Art Education from the University of Minnesota, Lampi’s career spans decades of artistic exploration, education and international exhibition.

Best known for her “Tree Skin” series, Lenore's signature work is a poetic study of form, memory and transformation. Originally creating sculptural pieces that resembled stacked firewood, her practice evolved as she began working with porcelain clay and integrating wheel-thrown techniques. Her deep fascination with the sculptural qualities of birch bark led her to develop a unique visual language; layered, incised and altered vessels that seem to twist, stretch and breathe. Each piece is a meditation on endurance, fragility and the quiet strength of organic forms.

Lampi employs a tactile and intuitive process; carving, adding and subtracting material, sometimes using pieces of driftwood to create texture. She finishes her work with rich glazes and black iron oxide rubs, allowing kiln firing to create unpredictable, serendipitous surface effects. Her interior glazes often migrate through to the vessel’s exterior, creating an ethereal interplay of light, texture and translucency on thin porcelain walls.

Lampi’s work has been exhibited across the United States, Finland, Sweden, China and Argentina. In 2007, she participated in the prestigious International Wood Fire Conference in China. She is recognized by the Finnish Embassy as a notable Finnish-American artist.

For Lenore, clay is not just a medium, it is a conversation between physical form and emotional resonance. “All art,” she says, “is about a certain type of love.”