Andrew Irvine graduated from Brown University in 2003 with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. minor in Visual Arts. While at Brown, he also studied ceramic material science at the Rhode Island School of Design, beginning a lifelong relationship with clay, glaze, and glass. This unique academic background allows him to bridge the ways of thinking between science and art, creating work that is both technically informed and creatively expansive.
Andrew worked out of Black Bean Ceramics Studio in San Jose until its closure in 2018. Since 2024, he has been working from his home studio in Boulder Creek, California, in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. His current work continues to explore both wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramic art, now expanded through clay 3D printing techniques that push the limits of sculptural ceramic form. He incorporates local materials—like redwood needles and oak leaves from his home—into his firing processes, and is actively experimenting with wild clay harvested from the Boulder Creek area. These elements help infuse his work with the chemistry, texture, and spirit of his mountain town environment.
Andrew has shown his work at KALEID Gallery in downtown San Jose since 2015, including the featured artist exhibition Atomic Number 92. His first professional show was in 2012 at the Origins Exhibit at Fibre Art Design Studio in Palo Alto.
In addition to his ceramic work, Andrew teaches chemistry at The Harker School in San Jose, where he has inspired students since 2007. Prior to that, he taught physics and volunteered in the ceramics studio at Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California.
What makes Andrew’s ceramic work distinctive is how seamlessly it blends his training in chemistry with his passion for ceramics and design. From taking AP science and ceramics side-by-side in high school to managing both chemistry labs at Brown and ceramic labs at RISD in the same semester, Andrew has always lived at the intersection of artistic and scientific inquiry. Whether experimenting with glaze chemistry, exploring material science through clay bodies, or designing new forms via 3D printing, his work embodies the deep integration of science and art.