This is the story of how a chance reconnection with an dear friend and a Boston-based retailer, Topdrawer, helped me rediscover my purpose as an artist. It’s a journey of growth, resilience, and creating beauty through clay.

Back in 2005, I graduated with a degree in sculpture, specializing in clay. My buddy Andy Jessup and I met in school and after graduating built kilns, experimented with clay, and shared our works a beautiful gallery he created to showcase our work. But life took us in different directions—Andy moved to Chicago, got married, and started designing retail spaces, while I hit a breaking point. I destroyed a costly body of work, gave away my tools, and walked away from my art. For nearly nine years, I repaired cell phones for my brother, feeling stuck under fluorescent lights.

In 2018, craving freedom, I hiked the Appalachian Trail—a midlife reset that left me unsure of what came next. I knew I didn’t want a 9-to-5 anymore. With a studio, a kiln, and the desire, I made a plan: if I could get my pottery into ten stores, selling just one or two pieces a month, I could stay afloat. That same week, out of the blue, Andy called. He was working for Topdrawer, a company with 11 or 12 locations at the time, and asked, “Can you make sake cups? There’s a market for them.” I laughed and said, “That’s just a small cup, right?” That was the start.

Since 2019, I’ve been crafting for Topdrawer, starting with sake cups and growing to include tea bowls, pour bowls, vases, sake bottles, incense holders, candle holders, and our newest additions—small and large table containers. When COVID hit, progress slowed, but that time allowed me to refine my craft in the studio, building a foundation for what was to come. Topdrawer’s grace and patience as I learned production, logistics, and business communication have been invaluable. I’ve made thousands of sake cups, each one carrying my personality, my story, and my belief that creating beauty is vital in the world.

Working with Topdrawer’s now 16 locations has been a gift. They’ve given me the freedom to infuse my art with my own direction and identity, with minimal alteration. This partnership has taught me process, resilience, and the power of community in art. It’s also pushed me to share more of my story, to step out and invite others to see the value we create.

Warmly,
Kevin