Inspired by the Northwest, Wayne Bunker is an artist with decades of experience in fine art, sculpture, and pottery.

He loves the natural world around him, honing in on texture, color, and shape. He can capture the world's beauty and bring it to life in inspiring ways that deliver unique and versatile pieces.

What’s in a name: Materialist Art

The name was inspired by the concept that over the great arc of time the only trace that an individual has been here are the materials they leave behind. For an artist, the materials they create leave a trace of their life.

Wayne was introduced to ceramics in junior high school in East Tennessee and fell in love with the medium. He had built a potter’s wheel and kiln at his parent’s home before graduating from high school. Following high school, he started work as a full-time potter and built a business while attending the University of Tennessee. The chance discovery of a school dedicated to ceramics led him to Alfred University School of Ceramics in New York to study art and engineering. Graduate studies in Ceramic Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle rounded out his formal education.

Now after almost 50 years of creating ceramics, Wayne is still inspired by the creative process, endless possibilities, and continuous learning that ceramics offers. He is always looking for a new direction in his work and gains satisfaction from seeing others enjoy his creations.