Artist Statement
Girl dinners:
The "Girl Dinner" series is a playful exploration of nostalgia, indulgence, and the absurdity of daily life, all rendered in ceramic form. Each piece, from quirky food items to unexpected details like cigarettes, reimagines the familiar through the lens of humor and irreverence. By incorporating vintage dinnerware, I breathe new life into these forgotten objects, feeding both my love of collecting and my desire to challenge traditional notions of domesticity. These works invite joy and provoke thought, transforming the ordinary into an artful, whimsical still life that winks at both tradition and the contemporary moment.
Slugs:
My slug sculptures, crafted from ceramic clay, explore the beauty in the overlooked and misunderstood, transforming the vilified slug into an elegant figure through intricate patterns and underglaze. Drawing from my background as a master gardener and permaculturist, I reframe these creatures, often seen as pests, as metaphors for the parts of ourselves we deem undesirable. The resin slime trails they leave embody our paths of growth, transformation, and acceptance, urging viewers to find grace in the "icky" and reconsider what is worthy of admiration in nature and within ourselves.
Bio
Tennyson studied Fine Art at Columbia College before leaving in her second year due to a battle with meningitis. She began sculpting in 2022 after joining the Columbia Art Center, quickly developing a playful, offbeat style that has drawn national attention. Her work has been featured in shows across the U.S., and she is a recurring art contributor for Pepper Magazine, based in Texas. Tennyson lives in Columbia, SC with her husband, son, and a small zoo of rescue animals.
Publication
https://homeworthy.com/watch/a-vibrant-playful-charlotte-home/
https://boldjourney.com/news/meet-tennyson-corley/
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-tennyson-corley/
https://southcarolinavoyager.com/interview/check-out-tennyson-corleys-story/
https://levatacoleman.com/tennyson-corley-ceramic-illustrator/
CV
(Upcoming) The Cambell Collective
Featured artist
Greenville, SC
September 2025
The Summer Invitational
Swan Coach House Gallery (Atlanta, GA)
Group Show
May 15 - July 31 2025
Loose Ends
Pamplemousse (Richmond, VA)
Group show
April 2025
Small Works Show
Gallery 1408
Chattanooga, TN
March 2025
Verse & Vision
One Columbia (Columbia, SC)
Group Show
March 2025
Are You Going to Eat That?
Westobou (Augusta, GA)
Solo SHow
March 2025
Flora & Fauna
701 Contemporary Art The Hallway (Columbia, SC)
Group Show
March 2025
The Campbell Collective "le brunch"
Featured Artist
Greenville SC
February 2025
Small Works Show
Shain Gallery Charlotte NC
Group
December 2024
Leaping Trout Columbia Streams Art
Columbia Museum of Art (Columbia, SC)
Group Show
May 2024
Sweet Dreams
Changeling Gallery(Charleston,SC)
Group Show
May 2024
Midlands Clay Art Society
Stormwater Studios(Columbia, SC)
Group Show
April 2024
Big Tiny Gallery Show
Richland County Library/The Jasper Project(Columbia,SC)
Group Show
March-April 2024
Small Works Show
Shain Gallery(Charlotte,NC)
December 2023
Be Our Guest
Public Works Art Center(Summerville, SC)
Solo Show
November 2023-January 2024
25th Anniversary Show
Shain Gallery(Charlotte,NC)
Group Show
June 2023
Jasper Gallery(Columbia,SC)
Solo Show
May 2023
Black Creek Arts Council(Harstville, SC)
Ceramic Illustration Solo Show
March 2023
Cat Eye Creative(Atlanta, GA)
Small Works Group Show
January 2023
Jasper Gallery (Columbia, SC)
Ornament Group Show
December 2022
Shain Gallery(Charlotte, NC)
Group Collection
December 2022- present
Julia Deckman Studio(Charleston, SC)
Group Collection
October 2022- December 2022
Julia Deckman Studio(Charleston,SC)
Trunk Show
October 1 2022
PXP Contemporary Art Gallery
Group Show
October 2022- December 2022
Femme by Columbia(Columbia,SC)
Solo Exhibition
August 2022- September 2022
