Hanessian is a multi-disciplinary artist primarily working in clay, making vessels and interactive social projects. She has shown her work and is in collections from S. Korea, China, New Zealand, Italy, Denmark to multiple places across the USA. She holds a leadership role as board Steward for NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) and is both a Fellow and Past President of the organization. She remains an active member of the International Academy of Ceramics and past member of the Socially Engaged Craft Collective.
These porcelain cups shown are made in collaboration of a longer-term hurricane environmental project. Some of the cups have hurricanes haikus written on the bottom half. The glazing is specific, making the blue underglaze from the clouds, cry or in glaze terms, run.
Hanessian was raised in Florida and came back to teach in 2006 as the Ceramics Area Head at Florida State University (2006–2025.) She lives and makes artwork, builds community and continues to advocate for ceramics. She sees pottery and in particular, cups as bridge building. Handmade cups that touch our lips, mouth and hands connect us to a real person, someone who has held the same object and tenderly made it for us to use. Making pottery in this culture is also an act of resistance against a machine-made throw-a-way culture we live in.
