Julia Ballenger is a ceramic artist and educator based in Boise, ID. Through her sculptural and functional work, Julia aims to share her intention of finding joy and peace in the midst of our struggles; often exploring this concept through different iterations of the female form. Her work strives to explore the matter of womanhood and female trauma; often by using bright colors and images of hope to shed light on the sometimes darker narratives of the female experience.
After studying Art History and Ceramics in San Francisco and London, Julia began her career in the Bay Area, before traveling to study ceramics further through residencies in London, Denmark, and Mexico, most recently spending 4 months in Mexico City studying the native tradition of the Arbole de Vida. Her time there culminated in a show called into the realm of hungry ghosts A show which explores the psychological concept of our 'shadow selves' and the things in which we cling to avoid seeing them in ourselves. Today, Julia has returned to her hometown of Boise where she works among other inspiring artists, building her art from a converted warehouse along the Boise River called Spaceport. When not in her studio, she can be found teaching ceramics and sharing the thereauputic practice of clay work; furthering her mission to bring share peace and healing through clay.
