Tariki Studio founder Jack O'Leary came to clay in the 1940s, at a seminal moment in contemporary ceramics. At the School of American Craftsmen, he found guides and peers in such artists as Bob Turner, Dan Rhodes, and others who were revolutionizing the craft of the traditional studio ceramist. Jack's exquisite thrown pieces and unique glazing techniques expanded the boundaries of ceramics into the realm of art and brought Asian influences to the American tradition. Inheriting the studio from his father, since the early 1970s Eric O'Leary has pushed the medium still further. Deeply influenced by A. Caro, R. Sera, and T. Craig as well as ancient and contemporary Japanese masters, Eric's work explores the full sculptural potential of clay, always keeping at its center clay's primal physicality—the bones, blood, muscle, and fire of an art form that is literally sprung from the Earth. Read more about the O'Learys and their art.

In 2001, Eric O'Leary was commissioned to design one of the most technically ambitious ceramic sculptures ever made: four monolithic stones nearly thirty feet tall. The project grew to include the structures leading to and encompassing the monoliths, becoming a series of spaces intended to guide visitors through a revelatory experience of the four elements.

Tariki Studio is pleased to announce the organization of the Tariki Design Collective. Recent commissions have led the studio from the simple creation of sculptures that enhance architectural and landscape space to the design of those spaces themselves. This has taken the collaborative efforts of a team of experts in specific fields. Don Conwell of Emperor Aquatics and Bob Britton of Electro Mechanical Automation develop elaborate automated water systems for fountains, pools, hot tubs, and sculptures. Nathan Puffer, of Groton Timberworks, designs and builds signature post-and-beam frames. Structural engineer Ben Tirey provides engineering solutions to the challenges of sculptural construction. Paul Durvett , of Blackbird, is a master of the laser scanner, rendering solid forms into data that can be manipulated for design and construction purposes. And finally, webmaster and designer John Lehet has established an integral communications tool that allows all of these players to work together effectively.

This private website is designed to highlight the evolution of Tariki Studio and its principal artist/designer, Eric O'Leary. We invite you to explore the historical, philosophical, and aesthetic underpinnings of Tariki and to share in the creative process of its new projects. Check in often to see what's happening at the studio — we'll be posting updates regularly. If you would like more information about anything you see here, feel free to contact the studio. We've also posted a downloadable description of the studio and the Guachochi commission in .pdf format (requires Acrobat Reader).