Jessica Dupuis

Jessica Dupuis serves as Associate Professor of Ceramics at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, creating sculptural works that transform discarded materials into evocative explorations of memory and domestic architecture. Her practice bridges physical form and psychological experience through ceramic interventions in everyday objects.

Her academic credentials include:

• MFA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• BFA with ceramics/print media concentration from Alfred University

Dupuis's research investigates how 'invisible and visible boxes'—from societal structures to physical dwellings—shape human perception. Using clay slip combined with newspaper, cardboard, and furniture remnants, she creates works functioning as 'architectural spaces' for viewer exploration. Her process emphasizes material transformation (wet-to-dry, fragile-to-durable) as metaphor for emotional states, particularly evident in collaborative works examining postpartum duality. Recent series demonstrate evolving scale from intimate Miniature works (2013) to monumental Panel installations (2015-2017).

Her artistic output reveals consistent thematic focus on domestic materiality and emotional resonance across mediums, with increasing integration of digital elements in collaborations. The Twin Bunk Bed and Dresser series deconstruct furniture to explore memory containment, while the Panel series investigates architectural tension through monochrome ceramic compositions.

Her significant recognitions include:

• International Sculpture Center's Outstanding Student Achievement Award
• Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists Grant from Durham Arts Council

Dupuis maintains an active professional trajectory through national exhibitions and prestigious residencies at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Women's Studio Workshop. Her collaborative approach, exemplified in 'Saturate Desolate', demonstrates commitment to interdisciplinary exploration while mentoring students in material innovation. Though no formal lab exists, her studio practice directly informs pedagogy in ceramic transformation processes.

Her work represents contemporary ceramics' expansion into conceptual territory where material fragility interfaces with psychological resilience, creating spaces for viewers to navigate their own relationships with memory and domestic structures.