About the Artist

Emily Pilley is a painter and ceramicist based in New York City. She studied art at the University of Florida, and works as a figurative painter and functional ceramicist.

In her painting practice, Emily primarily works with oil on canvas. She is drawn to the human figure as a way to explore emotions and interactions. Her work is focused on depicting psychological states, often through dramatic poses, intense shadows and dramatic lighting, or a vibrant use of color. Through her work, she seeks to convey the complexities of human connections, experiences, and emotions.

As a ceramicist, Emily mainly creates functional pieces. In particular, she enjoys wheel throwing mugs and illustrates many of these mugs with underglaze, focusing on subjects from nature and animals. She also makes a variety of other types of pottery, and is always excited to try throwing a new form or experimenting with different techniques. The utility of these pieces is what draws her to create them, as a way to bring art and beauty in our everyday lives.