Attributed to Tom Suomalainen (NC, b. 1939), Early Figure

molded painted stoneware, fantasy creature with an avian headdress, raised upon a post and block base, not marked.
15 3/4 in.
Working and living in Walnut Cove, North Carolina,Tom Suomalainen is a figural artist known for his imaginative ceramic sculptures. Tom's work has exhibited regionally and is included in many private collections. In 2016, Tom was invited as a guest lecturer at The North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC during an exhibition "Penland Clay: Shaping North Carolina Ceramics.” His work draws upon his own childhood experiences in rural Minnesota and family trips to Canada:

"My family’s garden was always an activity of great curiosity as was the hatching of baby chicks that seemed to suddenly appear from beneath some dense vegetative cover....Particularly exciting were the summer trips to Canada and following my father and brother far into the wilderness, not only in search of some exciting trout fishing, but in the search of rocks and minerals, plants and flowers and animal tracks and habitats. The adventures and serenity of these portage trips formed heightened sense of observation. A true Cancerian, my creel not only carried gutted trout kept moist in wet fern fronds but bits of bark, new leaves, crystals and minerals. This visual and emotional journal continues to infuse my work in clay and painting.”
Private Collection of a North Carolinian
Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com

Good condition as made.