Clary Illian

Clary Illian is a potter who lives in Ely, Iowa. Illian apprenticed at Leach Pottery in England from 1964-65.

Hewing to the Leach philosophy, her subsequent work concentrated on the purity of the pot’s form and the potter’s life – one lived with strong convictions and a pure heart. She continues to produce useful daily pottery for local customers at a reasonable price. Clary Illian: A Potter’s Potter, a retrospective at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, exhibited from August 2012 to February 2013.

Clary Illian in her studio. Mark Markley photograph
Clary Illian in her studio. Mark Markley photograph
Clary Illian, Bowl. Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Bowl. Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Luncheon Plates. Courtesy of Chris & Liz Delsandro and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Luncheon Plates. Courtesy of Chris & Liz Delsandro and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Tea Bowls. Courtesy of Sanjay and Jigna Jani, Todd Thelen & Eric Dean and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Tea Bowls. Courtesy of Sanjay and Jigna Jani, Todd Thelen & Eric Dean and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Tanya Schulte/AKAR Gallery photograph
Clary Illian, Kitchen Ware, c. 1970, Courtesy Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Clary Illian, Kitchen Ware, c. 1970, Courtesy Cedar Rapids Museum of Art