James Skaggs is a ceramic artist based in Kansas City whose work explores care, domestic life, and the natural world through handbuilt functional and sculptural objects. His practice is rooted in the belief that everyday objects can hold relationship, intention, and emotional presence.

A central part of his work focuses on functional ceramics, particularly plant vessels. Skaggs designs pots as custom responses to living things, carefully considering each plant’s needs, proportions, and personality. Rather than producing standardized forms, he approaches each piece as a collaboration between maker, material, and the life it supports. Through this work, he explores how objects can become quiet acts of care and how the home itself can function as an ecosystem shaped by attention and maintenance.

Alongside functional work, Skaggs creates sculptural ceramics inspired by natural forms that intentionally move away from realism. Using exaggerated scale and unexpected color, he transforms familiar elements like mushrooms and plant life into objects that feel surreal, playful, and reverent. These works explore wonder, transformation, and the emotional resonance of nature.

Skaggs works primarily through handbuilding and uses porcelain, stoneware, terracotta, and reclaimed clay. He began his ceramics practice at the University of Iowa and later continued developing his work through community studios, including KC Clay Guild and Belger Crane Yard Studios.