Duane Perkins was born in Chicago, Illinois, and became a Canadian citizen in 1977. He spent four years studying philosophy and political science at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, but did not complete his degree. Instead, he would later graduate from the Ceramics Program at the University of Minnesota and move to Winnipeg, Manitoba–the current location of his studio. Perkins is an award-winning ceramic artist. His fine porcelain works grace permanent collections in various galleries and cultural institutions in Canada, and may be found in private collections as far away as Europe and Japan.