BIO

John Cheer was born in 1966 in Communist China and was raised in Shanghai and Peking. After living in Hong Kong for two years, he immigrated with his family to California at age 13 and became a U.S. citizen. During his high school years, an inspirational art teacher led him to pursue his interests in clay and sculpture. While rising to the challenge of supporting himself in high school, he also studied auto body and mechanics and eventually had his own small auto body and paint business.

In 1991, he relocated to the northeast, and in 1993, became a full-time clay artist, selling his work at fine art and craft shows throughout the country. In PA, he studied glazing techniques under a master Italian ceramics artist, Renzo Faggioli, and later, art theory and design under artist Myron Barnstone.

His early work was traditional and/or functional, but evolved over the years into decorative and abstract contemporary, bearing his unique style. The majority of finished pieces combine fused clay and glass on a large scale, with a striking look, not only in design, but also in glaze appearrance after firing in his 6-ton propane gas kiln. Some pieces also contain copper wire in the finished design.

John does about 24 shows per year, primarily along the east coast and the south, winning hundreds of awards for his work. He has been featured on TV, in podcasts, and in Ceramics Monthly and Crafts Report. He also had his “Soul Search” lamp and fountain exhibited at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA.

In 2013, John designed and created “Mandalas For World Peace”, a 600 pound, 9 x 5 foot clay sculpture, funded by the North Port Art Center. He guided the project to completion which was contributed to by 14 other artists from near and far, ranging in ages from 12 – 69. The sculpture resided at Warm Mineral Springs in North Port, Florida, and was beauteous to behold.

John has a knack for creatively transforming life’s adversities, plus a mechanical aptitude to fix anything that is broken. He presently lives in northeastern PA.

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