Billboard and Siloh

My Indigenous Art of the Americas textile research significantly influences my ceramic art and helps me connect with my heritage. Many of these textiles highlight human motifs alongside animal and plant motifs, suggesting material equality and manipulability. Although with historic, animist roots, this perspective aligns with contemporary new materialist and posthumanist philosophies, inspiring my depiction of the human form in clay. I explore the materiality of humanity, drawing from architecture, ornamentation, and nature-inspired technologies, like Ancient Greek columns that emulate forests or the Wright brothers’ aviation designs inspired by bird wings. In my ceramics, human elements serve both structural and decorative purposes, such as using the human foot and lower leg as foundational supports. Additionally, I embellish my pieces with fabrics and jewelry to contrast the innate desire for individuality with the material interconnectedness conveyed through the ceramic medium. My work delivers a message of humility and interconnectedness, positioning humans not as dominators but as integral parts of a broader ecological and cultural network. This approach underlines the importance of recognizing our anthropocentric biases to address ecological challenges and promote a more inclusive, globally conscious view that honors our bond with the natural world and various cultural perspectives.

Billboard and Siloh extends my exploration of the human form to a synthesis with functional manmade objects. This synthesis encourages the viewer to both think about the human for its functional or decorative components, but also anthropomorphize these relatively mundane objects to connect with them in a unique way. As the function of the billboard is to attract attention, it is felt as having an expressive, peacocking personality, adorned with dyed hair and contrasting colors and forms. The siloh, however, expresses less contrast as to perform its function without drawing attention, blending in with the clouds. This work was made to help people connect with their surrounding environment in a more intimate way and allow them to feel grounded in the physical world just as clay does for ceramicists.