Ira is very happy to have these 2 amazing clay artists to join him at his studio for the fifth annual Tour de Clay.
Vadim Malkin is a third generation artist, and the first to dedicate himself to the ceramic medium. Having had such great creativity in his family, Vadim found he was drawn to art from a very early age, and has been actively pursuing it since.
In his work he attempts to investigate a transcendental facet of life, to find a soulful meaning to everyday living and combine it with style and whimsy. His work reflects growth, change, and adaptation. Stemming from an idealistic perspective of childhood memories, he found a fondness for the ceremonial aspects of the tradition of tea. This nightly ritual brings families and friends together as they lounge, sip, and discuss the day’s events and adversities.
Since graduating with his BFA, Vadim has been working on his ceramics and instructing at Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park, FL and as a high school ceramics teacher. His work has been on display in numerous galleries, shops and shows throughout Florida, Georgia, California, and in many countries throughout the world.
When Alan Bennett was five, he caught a bluegill. He thought it was so beautiful that he kept it in his pocket where his mother found it several days later when she did the laundry. 
When looking at Alan’s work you can still see the child with his fish.
Experiences in or around the water and growing up with Jacques Cousteau specials strongly influence our work. The process starts with a series of sketches. He uses stoneware clay or porcelain to make the basic forms. These forms are manipulated, hollowed out and added to. The teeth and eyes are made out of porcelain. The pieces are bisque fired. Glazes are applied by dipping, spraying and by brush. The pieces are then glazed fired. The work is about form, expression, color, texture, and movement.
Alan received an MFA in Ceramics from Ohio State University and a BFA in drawing and painting from Arizona State University.
Alan has been a full time clay artist since 1990.