Ruth Borgenicht is a New Jersey-based artist who received her MFA from Montclair State University. and a BA in mathematics from Rutgers University. Borgenicht utilizes the chain mail pattern to create sculptures and vessels that conjure up a sense of permanence and defensive concealment. Visually stone-like, her pieces appear strong and impenetrable, belying their inherent fragility. Borgenicht became interested in the creative possibilities of ceramics while working toward her degree in mathematics. The exploration and discovery of systems became tangible and immediate in ceramic sculpture. Borgenicht’s unique ceramic works, at once solid and shifting, strong and fragile, often transform and reconfigure with subtle twists to reveal variations on the theme of organic geometry and visual poetry.
b. 1967, New York, New York
EDUCATION
2016
MFA Montclair State University, Montclair NJ
1991
BA Mathematics, Rutgers College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
SOLO AND JOINT EXHIBITIONS
2023
Rhythmic Encounters, NL=US Gallery, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Spring Break Art Show, NYC
2019
Pulse Art Fair, NL=US Gallery, Miami Beach FL
Connected, Gravers Lane Gallery, Philadelphia PA
2017
Gallery IMA, Seattle WA
In Disguise, Pulchri Studio, The Hague Netherlands
2014
Spatial Distributions, NL=US Art Gallery, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Homesites, Sherry Leedy Gallery, Kansas City MO
2013
Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia PA
Puls Gallery, Brussels Belgium
Intersecting Geometries, Gallery IMA, Seattle WA
2012
Form + Flow (with Wendy Letven), Prudential Gallery, Montclair NJ
2011
The Kitano New York Hotel, Park Avenue, NY
Café Gallery, The Art School at Old Church, Demarest NJ
2010
NCECA Philadelphia, Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia PA
2D/3D, Dubhe Carreno Gallery, Chicago IL
2009
Stoneware Sculpture, Translations Gallery, Denver CO
2008
Chester Springs Studio, Chester Springs PA
Linking Metal and Clay, collaboration with Leslie Pontz (2-person), Crane Building, Philadelphia PA
2007
Forrestal Village, Dubhe Carreno Gallery, Chicago IL
Baumann & Borgenicht (2-person), Kirkland Gallery at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, NY
2006
Articulated Spaces, Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia MO
Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art Gallery, Kansas City MO
2005
NCECA, The Mill Center/Rosen Group, Baltimore MD
Clay Art Center, Port Chester NY
Lacoste Gallery (2-person), Concord MA
2004
Millersville University, Ganser Gallery, Millersville PA
2003
New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester NH
2002
Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia PA
2001
Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia PA
Princeton Arts Council (2-person), Princeton NJ
1998
Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia PA
Chester Springs Studio , Chester Springs PA
Passaic County Community College (2-person), Paterson NJ
1997
Lorraine Kessler Gallery, Poughkeepsie NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
The Space Between, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York NY
Exhibition #101, NL=US, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2020
Confluence, Montclair State University Faculty, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China
2018
All Wall, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe NM
The Shape of Water, Gravers Lane Gallery, Chestnut Hill PA
Pushing 40, Trenton City Museum, Trenton NJ
Designer Showcase, Montclair Design Week, Montclair NJ
2017
Breaking Bread: Artists Explore Food Practices, William Paterson University, Wayne NJ
Self Portraits/Autorretratos, Proyecto ‘ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Core Sample: Additional Findings, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred NY
Morceaux Choisis: Acquisitions Recentes, Ariana Museum, Geneva Switzerland
Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa OK
Montclair State University MFA’s from 2016-17, Index Art Center, Newark NJ
2016
New Variations in Basketry, Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia PA
Gathering, MFA thesis exhibition, Magnan Metz Gallery, New York NY
Small Treasures, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe NM
Invitational Ceramics, Gallery IMA, Seattle WA
Red Hot Shop, Sherry Leedy Gallery, Kansas City MO
2015
Immersion: Becoming You, Kate Shin Gallery, New York NY
Group Exhibition, Gallery IMA, Seattle WA
Rotterdam Contemporary Art Fair, NL=US, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Parcours Carougeois, Halles de la Fonderie, Carouge, Switzerland
2014
Clay at Penn 2014: Pervasive Clay, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA
La Mesa, NCECA Milwaukee, invited by Santa Fe Clay, WI
2013
East/West Ceramics, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton NJ
Valeur Refuge, Sevres Ceramics Museum, Sevres France
Place: Fairleigh Dickinson Art Dept Faculty. ARPNY, New York, NY
2012
Valeur Refuge, Bernardaud Foundation, Limoges France
Watershed’s Legends, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
Exhibition travels to University of MA, Dartmouth, MA
Chroma, Parlor Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2011
Breaking Boundaries: A Survey of Contemporary Ceramics, Ann Street Gallery, Newburgh NY
NL=US Premier Exhibition, Rotterdam Netherlands
Thaumazo: The Island of the Colourblind, Arminius Stage for Art Culture and Debate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2010
Woven, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle WA
Small Works, Translations Gallery, Denver CO
ACDCPA, Delaware County Community College, Media PA
Magic Realism, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia PA
2009
Fittings, Lamont Gallery, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter NH
Contemporary Basketry: Redefining Sculpture, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle WA
Ab.strac.tion, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe NM
International Craft Biennial, Cheongju Museum, South Korea
2008
Uncommon Clay, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton NJ
Form in Space, Payne Gallery, Moravian College, Bethlehem PA
Pace University, Pleasantville, NY
NJ Arts Annual Crafts, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair NJ
Jump: The Synergy of Connection, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield CT
6th International Fiber Biennial, Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia PA
2007
55th Premio Faenza, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, awarded Medal of the Lions Club, Faenza Italy
Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibit, William Paterson University, Wayne NJ
Perforations, Cross Mackenzie Ceramic Arts, Washington DC
Unadorned, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe NM
Small Favors II, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia PA
2006
From Raku to Ray Guns: Ceramics since 1960, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington DE
Interlocked, Bucks County Community College, PA
Watershed 20th Anniversary, Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston MA
Three Ceramists, Three Points of View, Art School at Old Church, Demarest NJ
Art Counts: Math in Art, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg PA
2005
NJ Arts Annual/Craft, Jersey City Museum, Jersey City NJ
Summer Invitational, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art Gallery, Kansas City MO
NCECA, Echoes, University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD
NCECA, Transformation, Baltimore MD
LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton NY
2004
The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Recent Acquisitions, Sedalia MO
NJ Craft Arts Annual, Newark Museum of Art, Newark NJ
The Ranch is at UM, Anderson Ranch invited artists, University of Miami, FL
Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts Resident Artists, SOFA Chicago, IL
NJ Arts Annual, Cache: New Horizons in crafts, The Noyes Museum, Oceanville NJ
Gallery in the Garden, Hawk Mountain PA
2003
Transformation: Contemporary Works in Ceramics, the Elizabeth R. Raphael
Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh PA
Crafts National, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster PA
Anderson Ranch Past and Present Resident Artists, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago IL
Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME
The Fine Art of Craft, Susquehanna Art Museum, PA
Gallery in the Garden, Hawk Mountain PA
2002
Fourteenth San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo TX
4 x 10: Ceramic Sculpture, The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster PA
Sidney Myer Fund Int’l Ceramics Award, Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia
2001
52nd International Ceramics Competition, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, Italy
Compelled, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton NJ
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2023
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship
2021-2
Gallery Aferro, Sustainable Arts Fellowship, Newark NJ
2019
William Paterson University, visiting artist and residency, Wayne NJ
2017
Lab in Social Practice Residency, Visual Arts Center of NJ, Summit NJ
2014-16
Graduate Assistantship, Montclair State University, NJ
2007
Medal of the Lions Club, 55th Premio Faenza, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza, Faenza Italy
2005
NJ State Council on the Arts Fellowship
2004
Guest artist, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle ME
2002
Resident Artist, Anderson Ranch, Snowmass Village CO
2001
Resident Artist, Greenwich House Pottery, New York NY
Resident Artist, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle ME
1999-02
Resident Artist, Ceramics Department, Hunter College, New York NY
2000
Merit Award - Ceramics USA 2000, University of North Texas, SOVA Gallery, Denton TX
1998
Resident Artist, Chester Springs Studio Center for Visual Arts, Chester Springs PA
1996
Juror’s Mention, Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Camden NJ
1993-4
Resident Artist, University of the Arts, Philadelphia PA
1993
Beckwith Memorial Art Scholarship
University College Honors, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ
1990
Golden Key National Honor Society
PUBLICATIONS
New Ceramics: The European Ceramics Magazine, Germany, Dr. Hildreth York, page 26, September 2013
Art Jewelry Magazine, Theresa D. Abelew, page 82, November 2011
Ceramics Bible and Ceramics: Tools and Techniques for the Contemporary Maker, Louisa Taylor, Chronicle Books USA, and Rotovision Europe, 2011
How to Look at Contemporary Ceramics, Korea, Chang Hyun Bang, 2011
The Craft and Art of Clay, 5th edition, Susan and Jan Peterson, Laurence King Publishing, London
500 Ceramic Sculptures, Lark Books, 2009, pages 93, 128, 224, back cover
Working with Clay, Susan and Jan Peterson, Prentice Hall, 2009, page 103
Contemporary Ceramics – International Perspective, Emmanuel Cooper, Thames and Hudson, 2009
Monthly Ceramic Art, Korea, November 2010, Chang Hyun Bang, pages 62 - 67
Ceramics Art and Perception, Australia, Issue 66, Front cover and article, Jimmy Clark
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Ariana Museum, Geneva Switzerland
Sevres Ceramics Museum, Paris France
Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia MO
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington DE
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia PA
Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred University, Alfred NY
Sparta Teapot Museum, Sparta NC
Topeka and Shawnee City Public Library, Topeka KS
Swedish Hospital Systems, Seattle WA