Ben Medansky is an orchestrator of controlled chaos, a sculptor of hard edges in naturalistic worlds, a refiner of industrial aesthetics that retain rough and human qualities. 

The varied environments of Arizona, Chicago and Los Angeles - both natural and manmade - are the foundation to Ben’s creative inspiration. He is especially influenced by brutalist architecture, Dada principles of spontaneity and chance, and by the strong and diverse infrastructure and flora of the Los Angeles River.

Ben’s process is driven by the physical movements and outside forces that are inherent to working with clay. He shapes his pieces by intuitively smooshing, scraping, and folding the material. He often presses objects that hold sentimental significance to him into the surface of the wet clay.

Ben Medansky Studio is located in Frogtown, Los Angeles and supports a small team of apprentices.

Ben Medansky (b. 1988) was born in Scottsdale, AZ and received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2010. His work has been exhibited at The American Museum of Ceramic Art, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, The Underground Museum, among other venues. Medansky’s ceramics are included in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles Museum County of Art, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Chloé. He has been reviewed in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, LA Times, among others. He was the recipient of the Maison & Objet Americas Rising Talent in Design Award. Ben has created exclusive work in collaboration with Herman Miller, the legendary Bergdorf Goodman, and world-renowned designer Kelly Wearstler. Medansky has been a visiting lecturer at The American Museum of Ceramic Art, California College of Art, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has taught at Ox Bow School of Art and was an artist in residence at The Headlands Center for the Arts and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts.

Ben Medansky

b.1988

Education & Residencies

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, 2018

Headlands Center for the Arts, 2017 

BFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2010

Ox-Bow School of Art, 2008-2009

Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2023 Ferns & Freeways, Presented by Bianca Chen, Los Angeles, CA

2021 Mental, Harvey Preston Gallery, Aspen, CO

2017    For Further Study, Room 68, Provincetown, MA

2016    Fired By The Fire, Lawson Fenning, Los Angeles, CA

2014 Gridscape, Space 15 Twenty, Los Angeles, CA 

2014 From Beginning to End, & Pens, San Francisco, CA 

2014 Ben Medansky, Poketo, Los Angeles, CA 

2013 Ben Medansky, Object Design League, Chicago, IL 

Group Exhibitions

2024 Creativity Curated, The Cummings Estate, Curated by To The Trade, LA Design Weekend, Los Angeles, CA

2024    Cup with Square Rods, Aesthetics of Everyday Objects: The Cup, Curated by Jenny Hata Blumenfield, Los Angeles, CA

2023   Stacked III, Formations & Figments, Curated by Tyler Christopher Brown at Michael Felix Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2022 VESSELS, SIZED LTD, Los Angeles, CA

2021 TOTUM, A Show to Honor the Trees, Curated by Kyle DeWoody, Ojai, CA

2021 Super Group 2, Superhouse Vitrine, New York, NY

2021 Material/Memory/Myth, Jeff Lincoln + Nicole Timonier, Los Angeles, CA

2021 Craft in America, LAX Terminal 1.5, Los Angeles, CA

2020 An Unbound Chain, Egg Collective, New York City, NY

2019    Buried in the Snow, American Institute of Thoughts and Feelings, AZ

2019    Out of the Box, Nonfinito Gallery, NY

2019    Mess, Future Perfect, CA / NY / SF

2019    Consume, Craft in America, Los Angeles, CA

2019    Planter Show, Object Permanence, Los Angeles, CA 

2019    Clay LA, Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA

2018 Materializations, the Landing, Los Angeles, CA

2018 Making It Work: Production by Design, American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA

2018 Melting Point, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA 

2017 In Order of Appearance, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 

2017 Busted, Cooler Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2017 Headlands Benefit, Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

2016 Persephone’s, We Came in Peace, Eastown, Hollywood, CA

2015-16    California Ceramists, Lawson Fenning, Los Angeles, CA 

2015-16    Site Specific: LA, Austere, Curated by Sight Unseen, Los Angeles

2015    Pyrite Collection, Bergdorf Goodman, New York City, NY 

2015 Legends Ball, Woven Accents, Curated by Hammer & Spear, Los Angeles, CA

2015 CARLA Issue 1 Launch, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA 

2015 NOWHAUS: Domestic Objects in the Modernist Tradition, Harris Gallery at University of

            La Verne, La Verne, CA

2014 My self is An Other, The Underground Museum, Los Angeles, CA 

2014 Pot Heads, Design Matters Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2014 LVL3, Chicago, IL 

2010 Cheap Sensations and Empty Thrills, BFA Exhibition, Sullivan Galleries, Chicago, IL 

2010 Art in the Loop, LVL3, Chicago, IL
2008 PUT OUT: Experiments in Exchange, Mess Hall, Chicago, IL

Fairs

2018 the Landing, NADA Miami, Miami, FL

2016 Rising Talent in Design, Maison & Objet Americas, Miami, FL

Lectures

2019    Clay CA

2017 Visiting Artist Lecture, The American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA

2017 Visiting Artist Lecture, Ox Bow School of Art, Saugatuck, MI

2017 Visiting Artist Lecture, CERF+ Board Meeting, Hollywood, CA

2016 Rising Talent in Design Panel Discussion, Maison & Objet Americas, Miami

2013 Visiting Artist Lecture in the Ceramics Department and Design Object Department, SAIC, Chicago

2013 Visiting Artist Lecture in the Ceramics Department, CCA, San Francisco 

Awards and Grants

2016 Maison & Objet Americas Rising Talent in Design Award

Permanent Collections

2018 Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Decorative Arts and Design Department

Installations

2024 Two Ceramic Cladded Columns, The Manor, New York, NY

2024 Cloudscape, Chloé Melrose, Los Angeles, CA

2024 Blue Triptych, Fendi, Puerto Banús, Spain

2024 Mirror Installations, Jeff Bezos Residence, Beverly Hills, CA

2024 Fountain, The Living Room, Hollywood, CA

2024 Black Wave Fireplace, Private Residence, Manhattan Beach, CA

2022 Wave Wall, The Conrad Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles, CA

2021 Truncated Biconical Tower, Private Residence, Los Feliz, CA

2020 Tangled Rectangle Wall, Private residence, Hancock Park, CA

2020 Ceramic Mural, Downtown Proper, Los Angeles, CA

2020 Ceramic Mural, Santa Monica Proper, Santa Monica, CA

2019 Fireplace Surround, Oscar de la Hoya’s Residence, Pasadena, CA 

2016 Ceramic Column for Kelly Wearstler, Hollywood Proper Residences and Hotel at Columbia Square, Los Angeles, CA

Publications and Press

2020 Artist Feature: Ben Medansky, Flaunt Magazine

2020 Designer of the Day: Ben Medansky, Surface Magazine

2019 How America's Most Creative Artisans Are Changing the Culture of Craft, Departures Magazine

2019 Eight Creative Talents Writing the Next Chapter in California Design, Architectural Digest

2017 Radio interview - Peter Shire, KCRW Design and Architecture

2017 Best of The City, Angeleno Magazine

2016    Ben Medansky, Object Journal The Los Angeles Issue Vol. I

2016    Open Studios, L.A.: Ben Medansky, Shaping the Future, California Home+Design

2016    Radio interview, KCRW Design and Architecture

2016    Distinct Daily

2016    Brutalismo e estetica industrial influenciam o design de Ben Medansky, Casa Vogue

2016    Studio Visit: Ben Medansky, Tetra

2016    Culture Design, Prestige 

2016    Preview the Best Design Newcomers Showing at Offsite, W

2016    Ben Medansky infuses industrial aesthetics into carefully-crafted ceramic wares, Designboom

2016    6 Up-and-Coming Designers You Should Know About, Architectural Digest

2016    Getting Lit, FourTwoNine

2016    On The Wall 027, The Thick

2016    8 Beautiful Ways to Prepare Coffee at Home, Design Milk

2016    Maison & Objet Americas Returns to Miami Beach for a second year, Wallpaper*

2016    Well Designed Smoking Accessories that You’re Going to Want to Show Off, The ANY Magazine

2016    Get Your Kid to Play With Play-Doh Like a World-Class Ceramicist, Fatherly

2016    Maison&Objet Americas: 6 designers em ascensao, CASA Vogue

2015    A Mountain out of a Mudhill, Hypebeast

2015    Designer Crush: Ben Medansky, California Home+Design

2015    Ben Medansky adds golden tinge to tasteful ceramic mug, HomeCrux

2016    Furturisten, D2

2016    Want a Gothic Valentine’s Day Gift? This Occult-Inspired Pop-Up in Hollywood Is For You, Los Angeles Times

2016    The Art of Handmade Coffee Brewing Devices, Sprudge

2016    Persephone’s Botanical Pop-Up Has Exotic Flora For Your Non-Traditional Valentine's, Los Angeles Racked

2016    These Avant-Garde Arrangements Look So Right In Ben Medansky’s Vases, Sight Unseen

2015 Neo-Classical Pieces, Reinterpreted, NYTime T Magazine

2015    Pyrite Collection: Kelly Wearstler X Ben Medansky, Design Milk

2015    2015 Best Stuff of the Year, GQ Magazine 

2015    Shaping the Future: Ten Marvellous Modern Ceramicists, AnOther

2015 7 Questions with Ben Medansky, Unique

2015 The “ C” List: Ready to Ware, C Magazine

2015 Bomb Gifts for Your Baby Bro ( or any Cool Dude in Your Life!), Khloe with a K

2015    Artist profile, Jock & Nerds

2015    Say hi to_Ben Medansky, Say hi_to

2015    A Mountain out of a Mudhill, Hypebeast

2015 Victory and Vices, Pulp 

2015 Studio Visit: Ben Medansky’s New Digs, Cool Hunting

2015 Studio Visit: Ben Medansky, Design Milk

2015 In His Shoes: hello mr. Captures Three Artists at Work, hello mr.

2015 This is the Easter Menu of Our Dreams, Bon Appetit

2015 Ask a Designer: Orlando Soria, Coastal Living

2014 Artist to Know, Bon Appetit

2014 Buyer’s Sourcebook: Essentials for Every Room, Dwell Magazine 

2014 Born to Kiln, V Man Magazine

2014 The New Ceramicists, NYTimes T Magazine

2014 Beach House Living, C Magazine 

2014 LA Designer: Ben Medansky, Potting His Way from Arizona to Milan 

2013 The Ceramicist: An Interview with Ben Medansky, LA I’m Yours

2013 Sight Unseen

2013 Gift Guide, LA Times

2013 Gift Guide, New Yorker