Alan Perillo creates pottery with an emphasis on functionality and form. His pots are intended to be used daily and displayed in your home. He first learned to use a pottery wheel during his second year in high school. He quickly became enthralled with the process and was motivated to improve. He gathered inspiration from collections of ancient Greek and Roman pottery on display in museums near Los Angeles, close to where he grew up. He wanted to make pots that displayed the same elegance and power in their forms as those.

​Alan continued to make and teach pottery during his free time while he was in college and after. He did some traveling and was an artist in residence for a short period at a studio in Greece. Eventually, he sought out professional potters to visit and learn from. He observed the level of commitment required to turn pottery making into a full-time job. His time as a summer studio assistant for a wood-firing potter in Wisconsin strongly influenced his decision to pursue a career of making art.

He received formal training for a year and a half during his apprenticeship with a potter in North Carolina. Now he lives in Tenino, Washington where he is growing his own pottery business. Alan primarily produces work in a wood fired kiln that he built, but also makes electric fired work.

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