Tri TRAN

Born: 1953 in Dalat, Vietnam
Medium: wood-fired ceramics

Tri Tran has been living in the US since the early 1970s. A recently retired corporate
executive with an education in Finance, he has surprised many with a new endeavor--
unorthodox ceramic work. Actually, those who know him see a natural transition. Over the
years Tri has done wood sculpting, furniture making, lighting and landscape designs. His recent
passion for wood-fired ceramics is not such a surprise.

These ceramics show a fusion of Asian aesthetics with Western influence. Tri’s imagery is
modernistic, minimalist, organic, and executed in wide variations of shape, line and color. He
successfully blends ambiguous imagery with functional purpose. His ultra long wall vases and
water gardens express both sculptural form and functionality. Several trips to Japan gave him a
greater appreciation and love for ceramics, especially tea ware. Thus, he has devoted significant
energy toward this ever-elusive form.

The ceramics of Tri Tran are mostly fired in an anagama kiln, an ancient Japanese single
chamber tunnel-shaped sloping kiln. A fire of wood is laid just inside the door of the kiln and
pots are arranged all the way back to the flue. Swirling wood ash is deposited on the pots to
create the glaze. The rich colors and dynamic textures come from the combination of wood ash,
different clays, stone compositions, and the 7 to 10 days of firing at temperatures which reach
2300 degrees. This firing process yields unconventional, earthy and very individualistic pieces.

The scope of Tri Tran’s work continues to evolve and expand into many exciting forms
and designs. He now is doing a variety of sculptural pieces ranging in to almost six feet in height.

Exhibitions:
Quicksilver Mine Company, Forestville
Pixar Studio, Emeryville, CA
Fairfield Center for Creative Arts, Fairfield, CA
The Pence Gallery, Davis, CA
Sebastopol Public Library, Sebastopol, CA
Stewart Kummer Gallery, Gualala, CA
Advent Building, San Francisco
Solano Community College, Fairfield
San Jose City Hall, CA
The Ren Brown Collection, Bodega Bay