Drew Koenig

Drew (they/them) is an artist, educator, and passionate storyteller who believes in the power of art as a tool for healing and connection. They have been involved in the arts in its many forms from a young age, but always felt most at home with tactile processes such as drawing, painting, collage, and textiles. While studying painting at East Carolina University, they stumbled upon ceramics for the first time and were hooked immediately—a happy accident that led to a BFA in Painting and Ceramics in 2020. 

 In their personal work, Drew uses ceramics as a vehicle to talk about growing up queer in religious spaces—often combining clay with materials like string, metal, and paint to illustrate the dichotomy of the experience. Their process tends to be meticulous and usually begins with a journal entry or detailed sketches before any clay is brought into the picture. No matter the method of construction, each piece is heavy with symbolism and details that carry stories along with it. 

 As an educator, Drew cares deeply about making clay accessible to everyone. One of their greatest joys is introducing others to the endless possibilities of the medium and watching each student make it their own through handbuilding, throwing, surface design and glazing. After working as a pottery instructor and studio manager in Greenville for three years, they have returned to their hometown of Charlotte to pursue their craft full time. Drew has been working at Clayworks as an instructor and studio assistant since December of 2022.