Marie-Elena Ottman

Ceramic Sculpture

www.marie-elena.com

Panama and the colors and textures of the rainforest are never far from Marie-Elena Ottman’s thoughts. The Kentucky artist, a native of Panama, calls her clay sculptures “metaphorical self-portraits,” bringing together the two cultures that shape her life.

Marie-Elena left her paralegal work to enroll full time at the University of Louisville where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in ceramics. Homesickness and a love of clay have pushed her to express herself through her artwork.

Her work is published in the Larks book “500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of the Animal Form”, which featured the sculpture “Quarrelers/Peleones” on the inside cover. Her work was also featured in PBS/KET “Kentucky Life”, PBS/WKYU “Mainstreet” and “Bluegrass and Backroads”. Marie-Elena’s work has been exhibited locally and nationally.