About Kirke Martin & M4 Studios

Kirke Martin, owner of M4 Studios and a ceramic artist, creates a range functional and sculptural wood-fired ceramics that fuse traditional techniques with independent design. His work reflects inspiration from natural elements and historical forms. During the labor intensive wood-firing process , the raw characteristics of the clay interact with the flames and ash, creating texture and unique effects. M4 Studios consists of the pottery and the gallery and is located in western Maryland near historic Keedysville, Antietam Battlefield, Harpers Ferry, and Shepherdstown.

Firing Kiln A native of Nashville, Tennessee Kirke has studied ceramics and kiln building throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. He first discovered ceramics while still a teenager at the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Afterwards, Kirke received his BFA with a concentration in ceramics from the Appalachian Center for Crafts, Tennessee Technological University. Then he supplemented his education and professional formation with an apprenticeship with John Glick and by working in a studio at Micki Schloessingk’s Bridge Pottery in South Wales. He established his studio in Rock Hall, Maryland in 2002 and moved to Keedysville in 2004.