Mary Burwinkel is a potter and sculptor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally from St. Louis, MO, she moved to the Twin Cities in 2017 following the completion of her degree from Bradley University (BFA Ceramics, Peoria, IL) to broaden her ceramics education through a post-baccalaureate at Concordia University (St. Paul). Since then, she has participated in regional sales and art festivals, including N.E. Minneapolis’ Art-A-Whirl (since 2022) and Loring Park Art Fair (2025). Mary regularly participates in pop-ups across the Twin Cities.

Mary’s ceramics utilize striking color, texture and pattern to eye-catching effect. Her utilization of silkscreened imagery and highly chromatic, fluid glazes, results in a dynamic surface that invites touch and encourages joyful use. Inspired by classic diner stoneware, retro pop-culture and color theory, her functional work strikes a balance between the subtly iconic and the boldly inventive.

Her most recent body of sculptural work consists of chimeras, hyper-realistic chickens with human heads and expressive faces. Mary’s sculptures are constructed utilizing pinch and slab methods and bisque molds. Emphasis on musculature and tension in the forms enlivens the sculptures and can border on the grotesque. The amalgamation of humans and domesticated animals alludes to our shared history and interlocked destiny in late capitalist society. Where the fate of livestock is to be consumed, it seems that humans are also doomed to lose all agency as our data is more and more commodified.