About
Bear Trickey is an artist and software developer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He uses ceramics and other physical media to create maze-like artwork that’s inspired by, and feeds back into, his passion for nature and play. Prior to pursuing ceramics, he worked as a game designer in Kyoto, Japan, and later co-founded the mobile game company Winning Blimp. In 2020, while isolating and caring for his son struggling with the rare retina disease “Coats’ Disease”, he began ceramics as a creative and therapeutic outlet.
After graduating with a B.A. in East Asian Languages and Literature at University of Florida, Bear moved to Kyoto, Japan to receive a degree in Digital Art and Animation at Kyoto Computer Institute. He has been studying hand building at Red Ox Clay Studio in Concord, California since 2022.
Nature, Art, and Play
“I want to make functional and playful art that people can decorate their cherished spaces with.
While isolating during the pandemic, I sought crafts that served as both vehicles for self expression and means to adorn my family’s living spaces with optimistic, verdant, and playful curios. I drew upon my love of pop art, plants, design, toys, comics, and punk rock DIY culture to make functional clocks, plant pots, succulent arrangements, sculptures, wooden tables, and handheld pinball games that double as wall art.
I try to think of each piece as a casual experiment, a test to be run. I ask questions and collect data. Did the piece answer my questions, or ask new ones? Did it result in a totally new branch of thinking? This explosive feedback loop between curiosity and creation is a core driver of my art.”
- Bear