Paul Heckler is a ceramicist from New York City currently pursuing an MFA at the University of Arkansas. He studied ceramics in college and then took a hiatus to pursue a career as an arts administrator—working for organizations like Friends of the High Line, World Monuments Fund, and the Public Theater. 

Since 2021, he’s been back in the studio making functional ceramics in soda-fired earthenware. Paul’s forms are rooted in architecture, and the history of utilitarian design. His surfaces explore geometry and pattern, with references to infrastructure, textiles, and printmaking.

Through the use of texture, slip, underglaze, Paul creates multi-layered surfaces that respond to the kiln’s atmosphere and take on a rich patina.