Jim Schatz
Jim Schatz is an artist, designer, and founder of J Schatz Studio, a Detroit-based ceramic studio creating lighting, objects, murals, hanging works, and design-forward products for birds. His one-of-a-kind work explores material transformation, queer embodiment, repetition, surface, gesture, and the emotional charge of objects made by hand. Forms emerge through hours of slab-building, glazing, and high firing — a slow, attentive practice grounded in the studio's dense materials and considered surfaces. Schatz works between functional and sculptural registers, treating each as part of a single language. He co-founded Take Me Home with Peter Souza Jr. in 2026, extending the studio's practice into a public space for sharing one-of-a-kind work and the work of close collaborators.
Objects
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr
A wooden totem rising from a stoneware base. Hand-built clay forms glazed and high-fired in the Detroit studio, set onto carved and sanded wood. Part of a series of seven, each totem holds the same formal vocabulary while reading as its own variation. Made collaboratively by Jim Schatz and Peter Souza Jr. — clay and wood in conversation, neither artist's hand alone, the work emerges through the back-and-forth of two practices. Signed by both artists.
by Jim Schatz
Part of Radical Presence, Figure Study Eggs is a series of porcelain eggs featuring photographic mural imagery and hand-drawn figure studies. Intimate in scale and sculptural in presence, each piece carries the body across a curved surface — extending the language of the exhibition through form, image, and touch.
Each egg is one of a kind.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
Ceramic egg bank by Jim Schatz in a rustic glaze — warm browns and ambers pooling and streaking over the egg form, a single coin slot cut at the top. Glazed and high-fired. No two glaze surfaces alike.
by Jim Schatz
Part of Radical Presence, Gestures is a limited series of ceramic plates featuring unique photo mural imagery drawn from the body in fragment — hands, feet, touch, contact. Rendered in a brown tonal palette on glazed ceramic, each plate becomes its own field of attention: personal, symbolic, quietly charged.
Each plate is part of an edition of 100, with every image unique to the series.
by Jim Schatz
A ceramic box in the form of a resting head, with a fitted lid and concealed interior. The exterior is finished in a rustic glaze that gives the surface depth, warmth, and the presence of age. The interior opens into a contrasting light blue chamber that introduces color, intimacy, and surprise. Both sculpture and container, the piece moves between object, relic, and keepsake.
Closed, it reads as a compact sculptural form. Opened, it becomes an interior space — protective, personal, quietly reverential.
by Jim Schatz
Part of Radical Presence, Handstand pairs a gold lustre ceramic figure with a weathered wood base. Suggesting a body lifted in motion, the piece balances play, tension, and presence in a compact, one-of-a-kind object — reflecting the exhibition's interest in intimacy, material contrast, and expressive form.
By Jim Schatz
A stoneware wall installation of 100 hand-formed tiles, mounted across four wood-panel sections. Through scale, repetition, and surface, the work positions queer male embodiment as sacred and transformative, holding ephemeral gestures in lasting form. Clay becomes both archive and altar. Exhibited as part of Season Fair's Special Projects at Michigan Central, Detroit, 2025. Co-conceived with Peter Souza Jr.
By Jim Schatz
A continuation of the Radical Presence series — a nine-month labor composed of glossy and matte stoneware tile sections adhered to a six-section wood panel frame. Four figures in green, blue, yellow, and red fold and rise across a white field, bodies held in gesture and balance. Built and finished by hand in the studio. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
A five-piece place setting from the Radical Presence series, hand-painted on high-fired stoneware. Five figures of the male form move across the plates and bowls — in ochre, blue, orange, yellow, and red — each drawn by hand, each setting one of a kind. Hand-painted and finished in the studio. Signed and stamped by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
A five-piece place setting from the Radical Presence series, hand-painted on high-fired stoneware. Five figures of the male form move across the plates and bowls — in olive, blue, yellow, orange, and pale blue — each drawn by hand, each setting one of a kind. Hand-painted and finished in the studio. Signed and stamped by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
A five-piece place setting from the Radical Presence series, hand-painted on high-fired stoneware. Five figures of the male form move across the plates and bowls — in orange, pink, ochre, and blue — each drawn by hand, each setting one of a kind. Hand-painted and finished in the studio. Signed and stamped by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
Tall hand-built vessel by Jim Schatz, with two looped handles and a cracked, glazed terracotta surface — earthen orange pooling into rust, the clay fissured and crazed like dried ground. One handle area carries a kiln crack that formed in firing; the piece remains fully functional and is sold as-is. One of a kind, built and finished by hand in Detroit. From the 2026 Degenerate Collection.
by Jim Schatz
Tall hand-built vessel by Jim Schatz, with two looped handles and a crazed, glazed terracotta surface — earthen orange pooling into rust, the clay fissured like dried ground. One of a kind, built and finished by hand in Detroit. From the 2026 Degenerate Collection.
by Jim Schatz
Tall hand-built vessel by Jim Schatz, with two looped handles and a crazed terracotta glaze — earthen orange pooling into rust across the body, the surface reading like dried ground. One of a kind, built and finished by hand in Detroit. From the 2026 Degenerate Collection.
by Jim Schatz
Tall hand-built vessel by Jim Schatz, with two looped handles and a fissured terracotta surface — rust deepening over earthen orange, the glaze crazed in the firing. One of a kind, built and finished by hand in Detroit. From the 2026 Degenerate Collection.
by Jim Schatz
A one-of-a-kind planter in slab-built stoneware, raised on four exterior posts that extend below the body as legs. A rustic glaze pools darker at the joins and rim, keeping the marks of how the piece was built. Numbered and dated by the artist. Part of the Degenerate collection.
by Jim Schatz
A one-of-a-kind ring holder in slab-built stoneware. The vessel is enclosed by a hand-built picket of ceramic posts; a T-bar and an upright ring rise from the wall to receive jewelry above. Each element is built and joined by hand — the irregularities of pressure, kiln, and finish kept visible in the surface. Numbered and dated by the artist. Part of the Degenerate collection.
by Jim Schatz
A set of textured stoneware bud vases in a white glaze, each finished by hand and unique in form. The dimensional surface holds the light across the white, giving quiet sculptural weight to a single stem or a small grouping. Watertight and made for use — each vase stands alone or gathers with the others.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A suspended ceramic composition of 13 stoneware orbs secured to each other by stainless steel grommets and hung from a single stainless steel cable. Each orb is glazed in one of the studio's thirteen signature colors — slate grey, olive, light aqua, pink, bright white, sun yellow, ginger, orange peel, sumac red, midnight blue, walnut brown, plum, and burnt red — arranged by the color principles of Johannes Itten. Each orb is thrown perfectly round and high-fired to 2200°F, where it settles into an imperfect ellipse. Studio-cast and finished by hand. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A suspended ceramic composition of 34 stoneware orbs in glossy bright white glaze, held in place by hand-knotted jute rope. Each orb is thrown perfectly round and high-fired to 2200°F, where it settles into an imperfect ellipse — a gesture to the handmade nature of ceramics, finished in a flawless white surface. Studio-cast and finished by hand. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A suspended ceramic composition of 66 individual stoneware shapes finished in platinum lustre, hung on six stainless-steel cables in a circle. Each cable carries eleven shapes; the surface is mirror-bright, catching and reflecting the light around it. Studio-cast and finished by hand. Numbered and dated by the artist.
Lighting
by Jim Schatz
Four arms rise and turn from a stepped central column, each terminating in a frosted globe — an architectural form in textured white stoneware that reads as much as sculpture as light. Suspended from a single wire, the piece holds its weight in stillness.
Light projected through tiny apertures on a stoneware egg, scattering stars across the ceiling. The Star Egg Nightlight sits on a brushed and polished stainless-steel base — a quiet object for a bedroom that becomes a small constellation when lit. Originally designed in 2004 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
A red sphere, an aqua stem, a goldenrod base — three colors resolved into a single compact silhouette. The Spot On Desk Lamp pairs high-gloss ceramic surfaces with unapologetic color blocking, a small object built for direct light and direct presence.
by Jim Schatz
The Metallic Black Amorphous Lamp Pair anchors a space with weight and presence. Each base is hand-sculpted in stoneware as a freeform silhouette and finished in a deep metallic black glaze that shifts with light and shadow. Paired with crisp linen shades. Sold as a pair.
A single Kuni Juu, finished in Orange Peel — a saturated, high-gloss glaze with citrus warmth — topped with a hand-spun alder form rubbed in natural oil. The Kuni Juu pairs two materials that rarely meet in lighting: speckled stoneware and solid wood, turned and fired separately, then joined into a single sculptural base. "Kuni Juu" is Swahili for "wood top."
by Jim Schatz
A series of four one-of-a-kind table lamps composed through structure, repetition, and proportion — each piece a study rather than a variation. Clean lines, controlled surfaces, and carefully resolved relationships, rooted in Bauhaus clarity and mid-century modern thinking. Quietly architectural by day, warm when illuminated.
by Jim Schatz
Organica Cactus Table Lamps treat the cactus silhouette as a sculptural language — each piece hand-formed in stoneware and finished in a distinct glaze. Small in scale and powerful in presence. A side table, console, or bedside object.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A homage to space age design. The Bubble Lamp Pair anchors a credenza or tops off nightstands — stoneware orbs stacked offset from their base, finished in high-gloss glaze and crowned with a linen shade. Sold as a pair.
A17-1 began as a study in the "found" object — a form refined over years of casting until it emerged, as if pulled from an architectural ruin. Finished in metallic lava glaze and fitted with an integrated LED. A personal monolith.
by Jim Schatz
The Geometria Table Lamp treats simple geometry as a sculptural problem — intersecting ceramic volumes resolved into a single cubic base. Subtle variations in glaze and surface make every piece different within the edition. Paired with a white linen shade that diffuses the light, the lamp reads equally as object and illumination.
by Jim Schatz
A study in curvature and balance — the Radius Table Lamp is defined by continuous radius rather than edge. A single ceramic disc is opened by a circular cutout, holding the form between mass and absence.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
The Metallic Edition is a specific run of Dot Dot Dot Pendants — the pieces made for the Take Me Home gallery install, now released. Same sculptural logic as the original: stacked ceramic forms punctuated by a single exposed bulb, the final dot of light.
Finished in metallics rather than color. Bronze against matte Rust Red. Graphite Lava against high-gloss Metallic Black. Platinum on its own, reduced to a single reflective sphere and its glow.
These are the pieces, finished and ready. When they're gone, they're gone. Each pendant signed and numbered by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
Cactus Pendant Lamp suspends a flattened stoneware body from a length of white nylon rope passing through a top eyelet. Seven ceramic forms extend outward from the lower chamber, each terminating in a small bulb — a single body articulated into multiple points of light.
by Jim Schatz
Aura Pendant Lamp suspends a flattened, ovoid stoneware body from a length of white nylon rope passing through a top eyelet. A circular aperture in the body holds the light, so illumination reads through the piece rather than from a fixture above.
by Jim Schatz
Aura Floor Lamp scales the Organica vocabulary into a vertical floor presence — a tall stoneware body finished in textured white. Light emerges from the interior of the form rather than its surface, holding the room as ambient sculpture rather than direct illumination.
by Jim Schatz
Wedge Table Lamp pairs a flattened, ovoid stoneware base with a tall linen shade — a single graphic silhouette in white. A circular cutout opens the body, holding the form between mass and absence. A small ceramic wedge at the side anchors the piece in balance, and gives the lamp its name.
by Jim Schatz
A one-of-a-kind sculptural ceramic table lamp, hand-built in stoneware. A textured white surface holds the dimensional depth of the form and casts a warm, ambient glow through eleven dimmable bulbs. Built and finished by hand in the studio. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
A one-of-a-kind sculptural ceramic table lamp, hand-built in stoneware. A textured white surface holds the dimensional depth of the form and casts a warm, ambient glow through a single dimmable bulb. Built and finished by hand in the studio. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
A one-of-a-kind sculptural ceramic table lamp, hand-built in stoneware. A textured white surface holds the dimensional depth of the form and casts a warm, ambient glow through eight dimmable bulbs. Built and finished by hand in the studio. Numbered and dated by the artist.
by Jim Schatz
Cactus Lamp 4 departs from exposed articulation and resolves into a single consolidated vertical — a barrel-like stoneware body that reads as solid mass. A recessed interior chamber holds the light, so illumination emerges from the center rather than the surface.
Outdoor
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
The iconic first piece in J Schatz's Birds line — and the work that launched the studio. The Egg Bird Feeder takes the eternal egg form, hand-built in stoneware and finished in a glossy glaze that also keeps squirrels off. Bird food gravity-feeds from the egg into a custom spun aluminum dish below. Originally designed in 2004, named Product of the Year by Fortune that same year, and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
The in-spot for birds. A stoneware feeding tube sheltered under a custom spun aluminum cover, with four feeding holes and four perches so birds can approach from every side. Built for wet climates — the aluminum roof keeps the birdseed dry. Originally designed in 2008 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A bulb-shaped feeder with a bell opening below — at the center, a sun-yellow stamen as the hummingbird's point of contact. The form does the work plastic feeders never could. Originally designed in 2013 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
"A hummingbird feeder that floats on the breeze." — Sara Barrett, New York Times
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A horizontal stoneware tube suspended by a single hanging wire and balanced by a polished aluminum ring at the center. Four aluminum perches and two feeding holes on each end. The piece spins and dips in the breeze, kinetic and quiet at once. Originally designed in 2012 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A natural companion to the Egg Bird Feeder. The 1⅛" entry hole attracts chickadees, wrens, and smaller birds while keeping house sparrows out. A removable spun aluminum bottom with four ventilation and drainage holes makes the piece easy to clean and keeps birds dry inside. Originally designed in 2005 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
The same iconic egg form as the standard Egg Bird House, now in three premium textured finishes — bronze, graphite lava, and metallic black. Each surface has an earthy, tactile quality that brings a different presence to the garden. The 1⅛" entry hole attracts chickadees, wrens, and smaller birds while keeping house sparrows out. Released as a tighter run of 25 per year. Originally designed in 2005 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
A pole-mounted bird house for backyards without a tree. The stoneware body shelters chickadees, bluebirds, titmice, and nuthatches; the textured interior surface below the entry gives fledglings a safe foothold on the way out. Ships ready to install with a 6' four-section aluminum mounting pole. Mount several in different colors for an installation-like feel. Originally designed in 2012 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
by Jim Schatz with J Schatz Studio
Liberated from the pedestal. A stoneware basin suspended from a sturdy tree branch by white nylon rope — glazed glossy white on top, matte white below. A 3" lip with a talon grip edge gives birds a comfortable place to land. Originally designed in 2017 and made by hand in the studio every year since.
Commissions
Take Me Home accepts select commissions for sculptural, ceramic, and site-specific work by the gallery's artists. Recent projects include private residences, interior design installations, and public-facing architectural placements.
Each commission is developed in close dialogue with the collector, designer, or architect — beginning with an initial conversation about the space, intended use, and creative direction. From there, the artist and gallery develop a proposal with materials, dimensions, and production schedule. Work is then built in-studio in Detroit, with in-progress updates shared throughout.
Commission inquiries are reviewed on a rolling basis. Timelines typically range from three to nine months, depending on scope, material, and scale. The gallery also accepts commissions for editioned work and sculptural lighting.
To inquire, please contact hello@detroittakemehome.com or (313) 454-1777 with a brief description of the project, intended location, and approximate timeline.
Take Me Home
1533 Cadillac Blvd. Suite 102
313-454-1777
Open Friday - Sunday 12-6 PM
Contact or Book an after-hours appointment
J Schatz Studio
22005 Van Dyke Ave.
Warren, MI 48089
866-344-5267
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By Jim Schatz
24 hand-formed ceramic tiles in lava finish
Presented as part of Radical Presence, The Body, Repeated extends the exhibition's meditation on queer embodiment, touch, and material presence through a gridded field of ceramic relief. Across 24 hand-formed tiles, the body appears in fragments — repeated, interrupted, and reassembled — so that the composition unfolds as both image and structure.
The lava finish lends the surface a muted, flesh-like warmth, drawing attention to contour, shadow, and the intimacy of the hand-worked clay. Both architectural and vulnerable, the piece occupies a space between mural, relief, and sculptural drawing.
Each tile is signed by J Schatz. Unique work.
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