About


Artist Bio:

Madden Marie Pilkerton is a ceramic artist known for her attention to detail and simplicity. Working primarily in porcelain, Pilkerton explores little moments within nature and life, focusing on family, fragility, and a sense of belonging. She is currently a BFA candidate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she was awarded the Lester and Marcia Novy Memorial Award in 2024. 

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Artist Statement:

In my work, I use delicate materials to explore little moments within nature and life, focusing on family, fragility, and a sense of belonging. I look for little sparkles of joy every day, questioning life, death, and what it means to find positivity within hardship. My work is often clean, with every detail intentional and specific, exposing my raw and vulnerable emotions through the time and attention put into each piece. I aim to capture life's fragility and vulnerability, allowing us to slow down, reflect, and appreciate life for all that it is. I pride myself in my ability to create tension and capture movement in a sedentary material, such as porcelain. I hope my work touches others, showing them strength in the choice and challenge of persevering. Through my practice, I want to inspire people to be unapologetically themselves, as well as encourage them to slow down, even for just a moment.

Who is Marie Duprez? 

Marie Duprez is my great grandmother on my mothers side and my namesake. I am fascinated by my family lineage as every woman on my mothers side of the family has been born in a different country than her mother. Marie Duprez was born in Egypt after her mother moved there from Perpignan in the south of France. Later on in her life she moved to England where she had my grandmother who moved to the United States in her late teens.