Tyra Carsten
[BFA] Ceramics
[Minor] Business
Calm, vastness, little moments permanently captured in functional ceramics that can be interacted with daily. These are some of the reasons why I work mainly in ceramics. Showing the world the beauty in “Fly-over Country” is central in all of the artwork I make, whether it is paintings of landscapes forever enshrined on delicate porcelain cups or bowls, or in the paintings and litho prints that I create. I take photographs of Nebraska landscape and use them as references for the artwork I make in various mediums including ceramics. Nebraska is very important to me because I have spent my entire life in the state and it is home to all of the important people in my life. Rural Nebraska, which is the subject of my work, is meaningful to me in various ways. My family had a farm in Rockville Nebraska, and not too far from there my Grandfather built a cabin 55 years ago on the largest man-made irrigation reservoir in Nebraska. That lake, which is called Sherman Reservoir, led me to love and appreciate ceramics in a new way, which then eventually became my love for ceramic artwork. During the drought in 2012, the water level in Sherman Reservoir dropped to historic lows and was 25 feet lower than normal in the summer due to all of the crops needing more water. My Grandmother and I were able to walk all over the lake and came upon an outline of a house foundation with many pieces of old junk like railroad spikes, window hinges and broken ceramic chips. I still have a piece of delft ceramic china that I found that day that inspired my love for ceramics and the permanence of the art form. These are all reasons why I showcase painted landscapes on ceramics. Capturing special moments in time and preserving them with the permanence of ceramics keeps the lived experience of the people of Nebraska alive.
Bio
Tyra Carstens was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She will graduate in May 2023, with a Bachelors in Fine and Performing Arts with an emphasis in Ceramics and a minor in Business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During her time at UNL she was nominated for the Elgas Promise award, she was in the November 2020 Making History exhibition in the Eisentrager Gallery, she was in the 34th annual juried undergrad art exhibition in 2020 titled Caution to the Wind in the Eisentrager Gallery, and she also had an individual show in the Medici Gallery titled Spring Gardens. She currently has a home studio and works with her Fiancé Joey in Omaha, NE.