Kyle Houser

"The term function must ultimately find personal definition."
- Garth Clark

Kyle Houser's interest is in marrying certain aspects of one style with another to create a hybridized vessel that transcends a particular genre or become a more self-referential object. By playing upon the viewers' sense of nostalgia and familiarity with certain forms and surface decoration, Houser is able to create a body of ceramic work that is intimate in scale and that references objects and imagery that have both personal and shared meaning. These ceramic objects take the form of utilitarian wares designed for specific purposes as well as closed forms with only hints of utility. All have function, whether that function is to be used to drink a hot cup of coffee, offer simple contemplation, or to trigger fleeting memories.

Kyle Houser's ceramic work has been exhibited in galleries and festival throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and now Chicago, Illinois. He has been featured in solo and group gallery exhibition. In numerous juried festivals, Houser was the recipient of awards of excellence, awards of merit, purchase awards and juror selection awards. In 2006, Houser was selected to exhibit two pieces in the prestigious Annual Marge brown Kalodner graduate Student Exhibition held at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In addition to his ceramic work, Houser has been highly involved with art education. Prior to attending graduate school, he taught Fine Art and graphics at the secondary level for nine years. Most recently, Houser has been working as an adjunct professor of Art History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During his stint with I.U.P., Houser was able to develop new curriculum based on a current understanding of art, as well as, working collaboratively to create and structure interdisciplinary arts classes.
Houser has received a Bachelor of Science degree in studio of art from Florida State University and a Master of Fine Art degree specializing in ceramics with a minor in drawing from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. For the moment, Houser resides in Indiana, Pennsylvania.