David Allyn

David Allyn is an artist whose work explores the evolution of urban space and culture through the combined languages of ceramics and printmaking. Beginning with the selection and photographic documentation of architectural sites, he creates one-of-a-kind porcelain objects that offer a distinct vision of the contemporary built environment. Through silkscreen printing processes, Allyn layers color, pattern, and photographic imagery onto ceramic surfaces, using them as both record and commentary on the urban landscape.

Allyn received his MFA from Rhode Island School of Design and completed his undergraduate studies in Wisconsin. In 2003, following the completion of his graduate studies, he founded the community ceramics program at The Steel Yard, a Providence-based arts nonprofit. He is the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. His work is included in several permanent museum collections, including the Newport Art Museum and the RISD Museum. He currently maintains a full-time studio practice at Studio50 in the 50 Sims project in Providence, RI.

Teaching has remained a vital part of Allyn’s practice. As the founding department head of The Steel Yard’s ceramics program, he integrated metalworking techniques into ceramic instruction and developed curriculum around those materials and processes. One notable outcome of this interdisciplinary approach was Heavy Metal Ceramics. He has taught a variety of classes in the RISD Ceramics department, offering courses ranging from sculpture to wheel throwing, and is currently focused on Print on Clay.