Kaneez Zehra Hassan, a ceramicist with a background in archaeology who teaches at Sunstone Pottery in North Salt Lake, has been named one of two artists in residence at the Bountiful Davis Art Center (BDAC).
The selection was first reported by the Davis Journal on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Hassan will receive 24-hour access to a private studio at the BDAC, where she plans to develop a new body of hand-built ceramic work for a solo exhibition in the center's Annex Gallery.
Her path to the residency is unusual. Hassan holds no formal art credentials. She earned a master's degree in archaeology from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, specializing in cultural heritage preservation, and a master's in communication from Johns Hopkins University. She grew up in Pakistan before moving to the U.S. with her parents.
That academic training shapes her ceramics. Hassan told the Davis Journal she draws on the aesthetic of ancient objects to tell contemporary stories about migration. "A lot of my work is inspired by archaeology because that's what I studied and that's where I learned storytelling … through archaeological objects," she said.
The BDAC's residency program, called TEST SITE, is structured to give artists dedicated time, space and visibility, according to the center's website. The fall-to-spring track provides a private studio fully equipped with materials and tools. A separate summer track pairs a graduating Davis School District high school student with a teacher. All residents are expected to contribute an artist talk, workshop, or critique session with local artists during their term.
Hassan juggles two day jobs. She works as a communication consultant for a museum and teaches hand-built ceramics at Sunstone Pottery. She also cares for her elderly mother, the Davis Journal reported.
Her ceramics have been exhibited nationally, and she received an honorable mention for artistic merit at the BDAC's Emerging Artist Annual Exhibition, according to the Davis Journal. She joins photographer Ashley Bautista as the center's current residents in the fall-to-spring program.
