ARTIST STATEMENT

My ceramic work is an expression of my process of healing, a reflection on intimacy, and a celebration of personal and communal vulnerability. At the heart of each piece lie the physicality of the emotions humans feel in times of distress and closeness, and the communicative nature of body language: every gesture, posture, curve, and shadow conveys emotions not easily communicated in words. Bodily forms reminiscent of arms enfolding oneself in comfort and figures embracing one another lean into the potency of this visual body language we use.

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Driving my creation of these objects are memories of self-protection, vulnerability, intimacy, support, and love, which I instill in my work through its abstractly figurative forms, smooth textures, and atmospherically fired surfaces. Acknowledgement of vulnerability is at the forefront of these pieces: inward-curving postures with abstracted arms and torsos curl in self-protection, and the simultaneous strength and fragility of clay is ever present. Also central is the love that has encouraged me to be vulnerable in order to heal. The support I have received from friends, family, and my partner in times of overwhelming anxiety and struggle appear in the utility of these pieces: tables lift valued objects up and exist in places of community; lamps light the way and illuminate the relationships about which I care deeply, imperfections and all. Vessels contain emptiness yet also the capacity to hold life (flowers, water, memories). Larger furniture in an abstracted bodily form literally supports, and provides space to pause and rest in safety and in care. 

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While these works are intimately personal to me, they also speak to a belief the world has reinforced in me that humans exist to rely on and support each other, and in doing so can remain whole and reach our full potential as individuals. I celebrate vulnerability and support in this work and, in addition to providing an outlet for me to communicate my feelings, these are objects through which I invite other people to see their areas of vulnerability, the strength they possess, and the support they deserve to receive.