Ben Owen III (Born 1968) American, (2) Signed Red Chinese-Style Art Pottery Vases. Cherry color inside and out with a crisp glaze, one tall with a gourd shape and the other with four small handles along the top edge. The bottoms have a stylish purposeful unglazed edge, with the artist's signature, the date (2002), and the words "No food, liquid, or water use" incised into both. Small paper label attached to both near the bottom edge with further safety instructions. 

Condition: Good. 

Sizes: 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 8 1/2 in., 6 1/4 x 6 1/4 x 10 in. 

Ben Owen III was born in 1968 in Seagrove, North Carolina. He was first introduced to clay at the age of eight by his grandfather, who had developed his own style based on early Asian pottery designs and the work he had done at Jugtown Pottery from 1923 to 1959. Ben’s natural talent and interest led to an apprenticeship with his grandfather and father at the age of thirteen, and throughout high school he studied the shapes, glazes, and traditions of the family aesthetic as well as learning about examples of the craft from around the world. At East Carolina University he began to forge his own unique visions in clay, graduating in 1993 and then traveling the world for many years. He participated in workshops and conferences in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and China before returning to North Carolina to open his own studio. His works are included in numerous museum collections including the Smithsonian, the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte. From the early 2000s he worked both as a designer and custom artist for hotels and public installations, while selling and displaying his works at the Ben Owen Showroom in Seagrove. In 2004 he was named a North Carolina Living Treasure and inducted into the North Caroliniana Society. After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the studio facility has been open less and less, although he continues to take appointments for commissions.

Good.