Artist Statement

Throughout nearly every time and culture in human history, people have made ceramic vessels and figures which reflect the ideas, identities, and values that make up our very selves. Unlike popular modern and postmodern art, my work continues the tradition of craftsmanship as art. Referencing historical art movements through the tradition of handmade ceramic vessels reminds contemporary audiences of our connection to ancient and historical peoples. My work is driven by ideals similar to those of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth, early twentieth century, which reacted against the rise of industrialization to emphasize the value of handmade crafts and their place in our lives.

Drawing from artistic traditions such as using the vessel as a metaphor for the body, storytelling through surface design imagery, and art as a reflection of self, each of my pieces are self-portraits, reflecting aspects of my identity, such as my personal history with dance, expressions of my own femininity, and a balance of maturity and playfulness.

Historical influences of my work especially include ancient Greek art and the Art Nouveau movement. I have found that stylistic elements of both of these art historical periods overlap in many ways with my experience studying ballet. An emphasis on craftsmanship, theatrical storytelling, celebration of athleticism, and dramatic expression of the body, were especially evident in the Greek High Classical and Hellenistic periods. Stylized figures from the Greek Geometric and Classical periods inspire the idealized dancing figures in many of my sgraffito carvings. The use of trees and vines in the Art Nouveau style has influenced the surface designs in my work as well as the style’s fantastical depiction of feminine figures. The use of botanical ornamentation creates movement and soft, elegant lines that are reminiscent of the aesthetics of ballet. A strong connection also exists between dance and the process of throwing on the wheel, in which every miniscule movement of my hands is rhythmically recorded in the clay. 

Overall, my work draws attention to the connection that humans have always had with clay vessels as an expression of our identities and stories. It reminds contemporary audiences of our connection to people of the past, and our connection to the objects that we have in our homes.