Both experiences impressed upon me the depth of practice that reaches back to work with ancestral makers and pulls forward their spirit into the present. Alongside these works Gates presented his own ceramic and sculptural objects (one pictured here).
Gates presented two vessels made by Dave the Potter (enslaved potter from South Carolina in the 1800s), and transferred ownership of these pieces to his living ancestors.
Last year at this time I visited Theaster Gates' closing show for
"When Clouds Roll Away" at Stony Island Art Bank; this year I was able to attend the opening for "Dave: All My Relations" at Gagosian.
I ended the talk saying that “I want to leave you [the audience] with the encouragement that our lives can be enriched and ensouled through the individual moments of physical engagement with the world around us, especially with the objects we create and bring into the world.”
Two men sit at a table, one is presenting a talk from his laptop. Behind him is a large monitor showing slides with ceramic objects.
Slide with a ceramic sculpture and the words: “My exploration of the "Ground of Being" is both an artistic exploration of ceramic materials, and also a symbolic exploration of the content of my unconscious.”
Slide with the words: Things mediate, actively shape, and constitute our ways of being in the world and of making sense of the world. Things also bring people together and provide channels of interaction. Things envelop our minds; they become us... Like a piece of clay thrown on the wheel of culture, the human brain is subject to continuous reshaping, rewiring, and remodeling. - LAMBROS MALAFOURIS, "HOW THINGS SHAPE THE MIND"
Yesterday I spoke at the UN’s NGO CSW70 conference on emerging topics that relates to queerness. I shared about my research and personal art practice that explores depth content from the unconscious.
Yassss ceramic monsters 👹
Porcelain vase in the shape of three fish with cherry blossoms and orchid blooms
Fish vase made of porcelain with orchids in a lizard planter.
Large celadon vase of three fish.
年年有余 🎏 马到成功 🦄 新年快乐 🙏
In Chinese the word for fish sounds like the word for abundance, so fish can symbolize prosperity. Wishing for an abundant and peaceful year of the horse.
“Technology is not separate from a mythology… In modern science a ‘fact’ is perceivable because of a background of myth... Through myth a cumulative body of knowledge would be passed on, and the means for passing it on would be a story.” — William Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light
Table full of ceramic masks within a gallery display.
Additional photograph of a ceramic mask display in a gallery context.
Looking back at the work from last year, thankful for the opportunity to show some of my work at Offit Gallery.
Late last year I opened my first solo exhibition in ceramics and depth psychology. My focus was on "Exploring the Ground of Being," a term that acknowledges my inner psychological process as well as my practice with clay. This video dives deeper into my work and some of the thinking behind the work.
As I conducted this research, I realized the ways that this work has tied together so many of my various areas of interests: group dynamics, art making in ceramics, psychodynamic theory, creativity, etc.
Inspired by my own practice with ceramics and dream work, this qualitative research points to additional ways that we can explore unconscious material and build connection and empathy within groups beyond verbal dialogue.
Earlier this month I submitted my Master’s Integrative Project (IP) as the final step to fulfill the requirements for my MA in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Bingo card with goal statements inside each square, colored by category: academic, artistic, body, lifestyle, sensuality.
For much of my life I’ve been a big to-do list person, and New Year’s resolutions were no exception. This year I’m trying something new: goal bingo! From IG examples, I created my own to try to find a framework that’s less all-or-nothing. 👩🏻💻
I love the illustrations!
Hang in there!!! The academic semester hangover is real!
It’s feeling a little strange being at the end of such a busy semester: I was working almost all day every day on my masters thesis work… and on a pretty large solo show. Now I’m just trying to soak up the feeling of not having anything to do.
Man sitting at a desk with a cup of coffee and journal
Hello from Taiwan!
Thank you so much Lola, I appreciate our interactions here too!
Artist portrait in front of ceramic monster and fish sculptures
Very thankful for this year and the work I've had the privilege to pursue. My work in clay has given me so much, more than I can know. "Exploring the Ground of Being" was my first solo exhibition, and it has opened up new ways of seeing myself and my own process.
Filled with gratitude and hope.
Today’s the last day to see this show in New York!
We have to uninstall early due to some gallery issues over the holidays. DM me if you plan on stopping by.
Man in beanie in a snowy forest.
Thankful for the life I’m building for myself. One year ago I was freshly out of a relationship, grieving the life I lost but also moving back to myself. This past year has been transformative in so many ways.
Putting away most recent ceramic sculpture, “Monster Family Growing,” as we close up shop for the holidays.
Stoneware, MD Shino Glaze and Tenmoku
#sculpture #ceramics
Table with large stoneware monster sculpture and some small porcelain bowls with MD Shino glaze.
Table with multiple porcelain monster sculptures.
Last ceramic review in my masters degree at Teachers College-I hopefully graduate in February!
(Fewer works than usual because they’re all in the my exhibition!)
Masters thesis is at about 15,000 words… time to start cutting it down???
I also felt like I was in narnia!
Exactly what I had in mind too 😅
Photo of a snowy park scene with a lamp post.
Snow day in New York!
