Artist Statement

As a functional ceramic sculptor, I create joyful, detailed pieces that integrate with people’s daily lives. My work is inspired by coral reefs and fungal networks, systems that seem simple at first but upon closer examination are wildly complicated and predicated on mutual care. Here, every part depends on the others; every part is vital and precious. My work draws parallels between these natural systems and our own human communities and invites examination of our interconnectedness and the effect we have on those around us. Through my ceramic work, I explore the different communities that have shaped me.

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I begin each piece by creating a wheel thrown or hand built functional base, often a mug, vase, or tray, and then add hand sculpted details using tools of my own creation. I use colorful glazes that highlight the textures of the work, alternately using one single glaze to emphasize the unity and interconnectedness of the details and using contrasting or layered glazes to highlight individual parts of the piece.  

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With an academic background in English and Spanish Literature, my ceramic work is greatly influenced by Magical Realism and its integration of the real and fantastical. I believe in magic. Not the potions and poof! kind, not the creation of another more beautiful and mysterious world, but the deep and unshakable knowledge that our world is more extraordinary and awe-inspiring than any I could imagine. My work highlights that magic, refines and amplifies it, revealing a secret world nestled into the fabric of our own communities.