James C. Watkins


James C. Watkins was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1951 and raised in a farming family in Athens, Alabama. He is a ceramic artist living in Lubbock, Texas who has worked with clay for over 40 years. He is known for his large scale double-walled ceramic vessels and laser cut tiles. He is recognized for his textured surfaces, created by using alternative firing techniques. His porcelain substrate tiles are with stannous chloride and multi-fired using ferric chloride, gold and platinum luster to achieve colorful surfaces.
Watkins gained recognition through his inclusion in the 1993 , which was curated by Michael Monroe, who was then the director of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. Watkins' work is held in 21 permanent collections, including the in Little Rock, Arkansas, the in Shigaraki, Japan, the in Syracuse, New York, the in Duluth, Minnesota, and the in Indianapolis, Indiana. His work has been widely exhibited in 40 solo exhibitions and 164 group exhibitions.

Academic and instructional position

Watkins is a Emeritus in the College of Architecture at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas where he taught Architectural Ceramics and Architectural Drawing. The Horn Professorship is the highest honor that Texas Tech University bestows on members of its faculty. Horn Professorships are granted to professors in recognition of national and international distinction for outstanding research or other creative scholarly achievements.

Personal background

Watkins uses his experience of growing up in the rural south during the 1950s and 60s as a source of inspiration for his signature work. His mother and father were farmers. Watkins is the oldest of six children - three boys and three girls. He grew up in a time when large cast-iron pots were still used as an essential farming utensil. His mother made soap, hominy and souse in the large black cast-iron pots. Watkins creates large double-walled ceramics forms that are inspired by the memory of helping his mother keep the fire burning hot around the cast-iron pots.

Awards

Watkins has been honored for his contributions to the arts and teaching.