Jason Wesaw

Jason Wesaw, a member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi in southwestern Michigan, is a man of many talents: a ceramicist, photographer, painter, textile artist, drum maker, and musician.

Calling himself a lifelong “maker,” Wesaw started his artistic life when he was 14, making a drum from a hollow log he found in the woods. When he became more skilled in making drums, he grew curious about other types of making, especially pottery. He began by making pieces based on examples of pottery from the past, decorating the pieces he created with simple, traditional Potawatomi designs.

As his skills grew, he moved from making pottery based on those typically used in everyday life— primarily pots and urns for storing food and bowls for serving it— to artistic ceramics meant only for display in museums, galleries, and homes. Recognizing that galleries and collectors often wanted two-dimensional works that could hang on walls rather than three-dimensional works that took up space on desks, tables, or shelves, Wesaw also started creating textiles and paintings.

Everything he makes is related to his culture and the Northeastern Indiana and southwestern Michigan region where the Potawatomi have lived for centuries. His work reflects the natural world and his relationship to it.