Kevin Nierman was reared at the height of the bohemian art movement of the 60’s, which explains the unconventional manner with which he approaches traditional shapes. His mother, a recognized artist in her own right, encouraged him to paint and repaint the walls of his bedroom, build sculptures throughout the house and experiment with all kinds of wall decorations. He pursued his studies at the Colson School of Art in 1977, then moved into a period of self-discovery, spending hour upon hour experimenting with different shapes and clay bodies. Through endless experimentation, Niermans’ vessels continued to change, but all had one thing in common - the element of raw fire.

Then, during a period of self-examination, he began to demolish and rebuild his creations, creating pieces that inspire, yet confound, the viewer’s comprehension. The symbolism represented by the destruction and recreation of pieces that are originally intended to be perfect from their genesis, represents a spiritual journey that all of us encounter throughout our lives. Viewers of Nierman’s work intuitively respond to the symbolism presented, due in part to their familiarity with artifacts from archeological dig sites. They respond to the metaphorical references to our daily struggles, where we all struggle to create our place in the world and continuously respond to the external and internal destructive forces that challenge us each day. The ability to rise against the challenges that would suppress one’s spirit is represented in the strength and beauty that exists in Nierman’s resurrected pieces.

In addition to creating and exhibiting his own ‘signature’ cracked pots, sculptures and installation pieces, Nierman also was the master instructor at a teaching studio in West Berkeley, California (USA), known as Kids ‘N’ Clay Pottery Studio (www.kidsnclay.com). The Berkeley studio, which has been in continuous operation since 1988, invites over 200 children each week to uncover their own creative journeys and connections with the world.

Kevin is represented in numerous private collections and gallery exhibitions throughout the world and his efforts to give back to the community have been documented in the book "The Kids 'N' Clay Ceramics Book", published by Tricycle Press (Berkeley) in 2000.