RAMStoneware by Richard Monikowski

Richard is of mixed heritage - half Polish and half Mi'kmaq (Micmac) Indian of the Eel Ground First Nation of New Brunswick, Canada. He am originally from Hartford, Connecticut. Richard's work is inspired by the sky and the mountains and the traditional pottery makers of the American Southwest and the basket makers of the Mi'kmaq people of New Brunswick Canada. 

He attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. While pursuing his J.D. and Ph.D., he had the opportunity to study and admire Pueblo pottery. In much of Monikowski's pottery, his designs combine traditional shapes and forms with contemporary methods (wheel throwing). He began making pottery in 2001 at Genesee Center for the Arts and Education while living in Rochester, NY, and has also taken classes at Rochester Institute of Technology's School of American Crafts and at the NY State School of Ceramics at Alfred University. 

Monikowski returned to Albuquerque and has his own studio space in the near North Valley. His work continues to evolve and he experiment with different types of clays, glazes, and glaze applications. He spends a lot of time mixing his own colors - colors one will not find in other pottery. Each piece is handmade and unique and the functional pieces are all food-safe, as well as microwavable and oven-safe.