Kyle’s relationship with fire began in Alaska, where he first discovered pottery through his high school art teacher. That early spark led him on a long path of learning—including an apprenticeship in Kathmandu, Nepal—and a deep connection to the wood-firing tradition.

Firings in Alaska and a wood-firing workshop with ceramic artist Simon Levin continued to shape his approach. Wood firing is a hands-on, responsive process. Ash, flame and heat move through the kiln in unpredictable ways, interacting with the clay and glaze to create surfaces, colours and markings that cannot be precisely replicated.

Each piece carries a record of its firing—of time, place, material and the elements coming together. It is this balance between intention and unpredictability that continues to draw Kyle to the process.