Kyle Johns earned his BFA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and his MFA from Ohio University. During his time at Ohio University, he completed a six-week residency at The International Ceramics Studio in Kecskemét, Hungary. Additionally, he has held residencies at the Red Lodge Clay Center, the Interdisciplinary Ceramics Research Center, and the Archie Bray Foundation. Kyle has also served as a studio and workshop assistant at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and has taught at Kansas State University, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the Ceramics Program at Harvard University.
By employing the traditionally rigid mold-making process central to industrial production, Kyle deconstructs and reassembles plaster mold positives to produce a multitude of unique forms. His work evolves organically, adapting to the outcomes and limitations presented by the process and material. Through experimentation, variation, and modification, he seeks to introduce new methods and possibilities. Kyle often references familiar domestic forms to establish a broader connection to his work, which inhabits the space between vessel and sculpture, challenging the boundaries of design. With his creations, he explores different degrees of functionality, from the practical to the sculptural, while generating innovative ideas for form, function, and process.