Emily reimagines the connection between our lives and the objects we live with by bringing a high level of design to the intimate landscape of the home and yard. Her unique forms are in dynamic relationship with the materials that capture her imagination — metal, stone, clay, wood. With her ancestral roots in pottery, weaving, and geology, Emily is a hands-on maker with one eye on the silence of design and the other on the exuberance of natural elements.

When working with clay, engineering and texture are at the fore. Using ultra thin slabs, Emily investigates strength in structure—folding and layering to seek a harmony of form that won’t warp in the kiln. She is drawn towards local, wild clays and is experimenting with glazes made from materials found in the sea.

In her metal work, Emily experiments with non-toxic, unconventional ways to color and finish her objects. Patinas are achieved through soaking steel in a tannin-rich tea bath then polishing with her own natural paste waxes to prevent rust while adding luster. Her table tops are crafted from found materials (glass, metal, wood) or remnants from local stone yards (granite, quartzite, marble). The combination of form and finish pushes the perception of small gauge steel in pieces that are light yet robust, defying expectations of instability. A slate tabletop floats above the floor. Underneath, a tangle of steel plays tricks on the eyes. Rich with contrast, it nods toward a mid-century aesthetic where The Eames meet Escher.

Emily received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her BA from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the Rhode Island School of Design where she encourages her students to chase rabbits down holes.