Casey Engel, an artist based in Asheville, North Carolina, is profiled in her studio, where she creates ceramic, fiber, and paper works that blend craft traditions with avant-garde sensibilities. The article, structured as an interview with writer Merin McDivitt, explores Engel's tactile process—from pinching clay to hand-stitching quilts—and her emphasis on touch, intuition, and the tension between functionality and art. Engel previously curated over sixty shows at Blue Spiral 1 before dedicating herself full-time to her own practice.
This profile matters because it highlights a contemporary artist pushing the boundaries of craft media—ceramics and textiles—into the realm of fine art, challenging traditional hierarchies between functional objects and sculpture. Engel's reflections on touch, materiality, and the viewer's experience offer insight into broader conversations about process, sensory engagement, and the role of intuition in artistic creation, relevant to both studio practice and curatorial discourse.