Jonathan Christensen Caballero
Assistant Professor, Ceramics
Department of Art
Jonathan Christensen Caballero is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Utah. His artistic practice explores themes of Latin American labor, oral histories, material culture, and human figurative sculpture. These themes are deeply personal to him, shaped by his upbringing where he witnessed his parents’ resilience in supporting their family through labor, and by his mother’s migration journey from Panamá. In his work, human figures and forms act as conduits for a dialogue between past and present, labor and migration, familial bonds and individual aspirations.
His work has been exhibited nationally in The Regional, the first major multi-museum survey dedicated to contemporary artists based in the Midwest, co-organized by the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; in the NCECA Annual: Social Recession at the Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati; and in Figuring Space at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia. His work has been published in American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, Sculpture Magazine, and in the book The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors by Ben Carter. Before joining FSU, he taught ceramics and sculpture at Indiana University, University of Kansas, and the Kansas City Art Institute.
Contact
Education
BFA, Emphasis: Ceramics, Utah State University, 2020
MFA, Emphasis: Ceramics, Indiana University, 2013
Awards & Scholarships
- Emerging Artist Contest, Ceramics Monthly, The American Ceramics Society, Westerville, OH, 2021
- Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, International Sculpture Center, Hamilton, NJ, 2020
- Chris Boger Memorial Scholarship, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2019
- Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts Windgate University Fellow, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- Genia and Max Tanner Scholarship, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2018
- Outstanding Senior Award, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 2013
- Art Departmental Scholarship, Utah State University, Logan, UT
- Eccles Scholarship, Utah State University, Logan, UT
Publications
- “The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors”, Ben Carter, Quarto Publishing Group (2024), pages 93-94.
- “Immersive art installation on La Yarda housing unit to open next month at Lawrence Arts Center”, The Lawrence Times, July 18, 2024
- “La Horchata Zine”, Kimberly Benavides and Veronica Melendez, Issue #10, 2024
- “Jonathan Christensen Caballero on Mining Local Histories for his Work”, Ben Carter, Tales of a Red Clay Rambler, October 26th, Episode 488.
- “KU ceramics artist teaches identity through art”, William Crow, The University Daily Kansan, March 20th.
- “Blowing Holes in Traditional American Portraiture”, Dr. Kelli Morgan, Hyperallergic, March 10th
- “Art that stares back: Life-size figure reflect cultural identities at the Clay Studio”, Peter Crimmins, WHYY, PBS and NPR, Philadelphia, PA, January 18th
- “An American Self-Portrait: The Clay Studio presents Figuring Space”, Pamela J. Forsythe, Broad Street Review, Philadelphia, PA, February 8th
- “Clay and Convo with Jonathan Christensen Caballero and Victoria Walton”, Jennifer Zwilling, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
- “Dr. Kelli Morgan and Jennifer Zwilling on Figuring Space”, Ben Carter, Tales of a Red clay rambler, Janurary 6th, Episode 448
- “Figuring space”, Dr. Kelli Morgan and Jennifer Zwilling, Studio Potter, January 1.