Bio of Joe Kowalczyk (Ko-vol-chick)

It was just north of Chicago in Niles, Illinois where Joe spent his adolescence developing his passion for drawing. In high school nothing was more exciting than ceramic sculpture week and needless to say, the discovery of ceramics itself. At the time ceramics seemed impractical and incapable of being practiced at home. Inevitably he turned his attention back towards drawing and music. Early in junior college Joe decided not to become a computer programmer after realizing his true love for sculpting and rediscovering the ways of the ceramic sculpture.

Nothing has been the same since.

In Spring of 2006, after three years of formative training under Arthur Gonzalez, Craig Petey, John deFazio, and John Toki, he received his BFA from the California College of the Arts (formerly The California College of Arts and Crafts). Now he’s currently developing his body of work in the California Bay Area with his friends and fellow studio mates,

The Firehouse Collective.

Statement:

People in general definitely inspire me. I mean, people AND their weird tendencies. Like that weird twitch in your eye, or the way you laugh at inappropriate moments. But along with the awkwardness, I’m fond of the bonding, the contradictions, manipulation, conflict, sexual relations, reflection, lies, etc.; all that human exchange inspires my ideas.

…and cartoons too. But you’re also like a damn cartoon yourself. Aren’t you? So stick a piece of dynamite up your ass, I’ll light the fuse, and laugh as I run to the other side of safety.

I’m finding the deeper I dive into my work, the more I realize about myself, which ultimately leads me to understand more about people. That makes sense. You can’t truly know anyone until you know yourself…

Isn’t that what they say?

Website: The Works of Joe Kowalczyk
Contact email: chowin@aol.com