van der Ven Studios
Sculptural ceramics drawn from natural forms, made in midcoast Maine
van der Ven Studios is the Lincolnville Center, Maine studio of ceramic artist Siem van der Ven, who works in clay — including wood-fired porcelain — with paint and found objects. His work is held in museum collections, and the studio welcomes visitors by appointment.
Photographs from van der Ven Studios's own website, credited to the maker. Makers can replace them when they claim this profile.
A long road to clay
Siem van der Ven came to clay by a long road. His first degree was in printmaking, with a minor in sculpture. He worked as a goldsmith, and as a carpenter and builder, before spending seventeen years as an award-winning high school art teacher — broken only by a sabbatical year in the south of France, working at Atelier Buffile and studying painting and critical theory at the Marchutz School. While still teaching, he earned an MFA concentrating in ceramics and drawing.
That history shows in the work. In his studio in Lincolnville Center, on Maine's midcoast, he makes pieces in clay — wood-fired porcelain among them, sometimes paired with wood such as cherry burl — and works with paint and found objects too. The forms come from nature: nests and eggs, branches and veins, river, bone and stone. He has said he knows a piece is right when different people see different things in it.
He works mostly alone, but describes a studio kept company by family, former students and fellow artists. He has been resident artist at Anderson Ranch, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, has taught at the University of Maine at Augusta and Unity College, and his work is held by the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Canton Museum of Fine Arts, among others. Visitors are welcome at the studio by appointment.
Written by the Hiram Guild from public information on vandervenstudios.com. Not yet reviewed by the artist.
The work
- Makes
- sculptural ceramicsvasescupswall vasesmixed-media sculpture
- Materials
- claywood-fired porcelaincherry burlpaintfound objects
- Techniques
- wood firing
- Works with
- collectorsgalleries
- People
- Siem van der Ven · Artist
- Recognition
- Resident artist: Anderson Ranch, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Haystack Mountain School of CraftsCollections: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, Canton Museum of Fine Arts, Harrisburg Community CollegeAwards in national juried competitionsShown at The Page Gallery, Camden, Maine
About van der Ven Studios
Who is Siem van der Ven?
A ceramic artist working in Lincolnville Center, Maine. He trained in printmaking and sculpture, taught high school art for seventeen years, and holds an MFA in ceramics and drawing.
What materials does van der Ven Studios work in?
Clay, including wood-fired porcelain, together with paint, found objects and wood such as cherry burl.
Can you visit van der Ven Studios?
Yes, by appointment, at the studio in Lincolnville Center, Maine.
Where is Siem van der Ven's work collected?
Collections include the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, the Canton Museum of Fine Arts and Harrisburg Community College.
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- Based in
- Lincolnville, Maine
- Visits
- Studio open to visitors
From public information on vandervenstudios.com, vandervenstudios.com/about, gathered October 13, 2026. Unverified until claimed.