Christopher Malec first got hooked on clay, playing around in middle school art class in Valparaiso, Indiana. Thousands upon thousands centrings, openings, pulls and then pieces later, Malec has turned pottery into his living and also a way of life.
Clayfest 2006 recently exhibited his work, "A Pair of Shino Vases", at the University of Indianapolis. He has had showings at Minneapolis' famous Powderhorn Art Fair, and the Honeywell Center Craft Show exhibited his work in 2005.
A self-taught artist, Malec acquired his own studio in 2004 where he has begun to hone his throwing skills and personal style. It's a long way from when he started as a "kiln monkey" at Grey Fox Pottery, a St. Paul-based company that specializes in mugs and many other pieces for Renaissance Fairs nationwide. He became a production potter in 2005.
Malec earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications in 2001 from Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2003.