Stephen Glenn Bunyard was born to be creative. Influenced by parents who were very creative in their own fields, Stephen is a registered Architect by day and a dedicated clay artist by night. Stephen was born and educated in Texas and now resides in Arizona.
Stephen’s work in clay has been described as Asian inspired and he traces many of his influences back to an early exposure to Japanese culture, in particular wood block prints. His forms range from functional to sculptural with an emphasis on beauty. He has introduced his love of drawing to his ceramics by including original illustrations made in an iron oxide wash, much like watercolor, which is then high fired resulting in a final homogenous piece. These specialty pieces are often presented with a traditional Japanese wooden box for storage. Stephen draws inspiration from natural landscapes, man-made landscapes such as Japanese gardens, images of deep space, mythology, and the study of other cultures.
Stephen has enjoyed success as a ceramic artist, participating in gallery shows at Phoenix Center for the Arts, The Shemer Art Museum, National Council on the Education for Ceramic Arts (NCECA) National Convention, The Bead Museum in Glendale, Chandler Center for the Arts, The Night Gallery, Art One Gallery, The Laveen Festival of the Arts, the WHAM West Gallery and at the Peoria City Hall Art Gallery. Stephen was a guest artist on the Arizona State University Ceramic Research Center’s Studio tour from 2012 to 2020.
