Tim Kowalczyk was born and raised in Morris, IL. He was the first college student in his immediate family. He attended Joliet Junior College and transferred to Southern Illinois University Carbondale to complete his BFA in Ceramics and Art Education with a minor in Art History. Tim obtained his MFA from Illinois State University in Normal, IL in Ceramics.Throughout his educational career he developed his trademark style of making trompe l’oeil ceramic “garbage”. This is where his work lives, in the small moments of beauty found and replicated in what others overlook and find useless, he calls garbage.
Shortly after graduation from ISU he started working at Illinois Central College in East Peoria as an Adjunct Professor and moved to Minonk, IL. Minonk is where Tim lives, has a home studio, and works as an Art teacher at Fieldcrest High School.
Tim has been in national, invitational, and international group and solo exhibitions since 2009. He is currently represented by Companion Gallery and Black Book Gallery. He is part of a 3 man ceramic group making trompe l’oeil work called the Mo Fauxs. Tim does a variety of demonstrations and workshops around the United States and Virtually. He has been featured on several podcasts, websites, and is featured in books and magazines.