PHOTOGRAPHY THIS PAGE : COURTESY OF THREE WHEEL STUDIO / PORTRAIT TOP LEFT BY JOHN BURKE ; OPPOSITE PAGE : COURTESY OF SEAANDSTABLE .
THE POTTER , WHO DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM NATURE , OPENED HIS CELEBRATED SHOP IN PROVIDENCE A DECADE AGO . BY CASEY NILSSON
Rhode Island might be in full bloom today but , at Three Wheel Studio in Providence , nature ’ s verve is always on display .
The bright gallery and shop , which sits atop Wickenden Street in Fox Point , is owned and operated by potter Dwo Wen Chen . His wholly distinct body of work — think colorful birds and flowers bedecking platters , mugs and teapots — beckons passersby from large , street-facing windows . Inside , more of Chen ’ s pottery mingles with carefully curated “ ceramics and art by regional makers .
Chen , who was raised in a farming village in southern Taiwan , says he discovered he wanted to be an artist at age ten . Nature has always been a source of inspiration for him ; he names Frida Kahlo , Georgia O ’ Keeffe , Linda Christensen and Claude Monet as artistic influences .
His first medium was oil painting and , after studying art at Chinese Cultural University , he immigrated to the United States to further his education at the Rhode Island School of Design . There , he molded and kiln-dried his future as a studio potter .
He opened Three Wheel Studio in 2011 , and the shop has remained a favorite among ceramics lovers and art collectors alike — for good reason . His work elevates functional objects but never veers into solemnity or self-importance . There ’ s plenty of room for whimsy at Chen ’ s wheel .
Chen also celebrates form in his work , most notably with the River Rock collection of mix-and-match table settings , and he accepts commissions . One of his most remarkable collections is the Imprinted Wildflower series , featuring one-of-a-kind designs inspired by plants in Rhode Island .
“ Each piece of my Botanical stoneware pottery is hand thrown or sculpted by me ,” says Chen . “ Real leaves , greenery and flower decoration is then carefully imprinted onto the ware while it ’ s still in the green ( moldable ) stages and burned off during the first firing . I apply my own color glazes to each piece of work before the second firing , which gives it a glassy surface .”
The collection is crafted seasonally , when the wildflowers are at their peak , but it affords year-round celebration of , and connection to , the natural world . In rain or snow , over morning coffee or after-dinner dessert , one can trace the velvety petals of cosmos or the textured seed head of a black-eyed Susan . Chen ’ s work is an ode to the ephemeral yet may be used every day — and gladly .
436 Wickenden St ., Providence , 451-2350 , threewheelstudio . com .
68 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l APRIL 2022