We love how you refer to your body/self as a vessel. For you, what is the conversation between the tangible vessels you create from clay and the vessel of your physical/spiritual self?
I like to stay fluid and changeable like unfired clay. I look for messages and signs and commune with the divine while experimenting everyday of my life. I often look to see where I am playing small and see if I can stretch a little further. Sometimes it works out magnificently and sometimes ends up in a big mess. But it’s the only way I keep moving forward. I also get hardened and crack or become too soft and slump very easily, so though my life is a constant up and down, a place of centeredness is what I always strive for.
Ceramics exist at a beautiful intersection of utility and beauty. When you dream of form and function what comes first?
The intention is the spark that lights the flame. All of my pieces have specific and useful functions, and why I personally need/want them in my life is what starts the entire process. Internally, I can be very scattered, intense, and manic at times with a myriad of emotions, thoughts and ideas at play all at once. I like to create my exteriors in a way that’s tranquil and serene, to balance out how I feel at times. And I make ceramics to aid me in that endeavor. I make things like the Vanity Tray to keep my clutter contained and beautiful, the Phone Home to remind me of self-care and connection, and the Shelfie to get lost in a little dream world. The visual aspect of how a piece is formed is always the easiest because I value simplicity above all and don’t like to overcomplicate things. Most ideas just enter my mind in unprompted, simple visions, but it always starts with a feeling I wish to achieve within the object itself.
So much of your work and life feels dedicated, with specific intention, towards being present in the current moment. What do you find brings you both lightness and awareness?
That is so kind, thank you. I believe darkness to be one of the most powerful bringers of light. I never feel more alive than when I’ve made it through an intense period or experience in my life, and never feel lighter than when I’ve confronted the dark. We are seeing this on a global scale now and it is terrifying and exhilarating. Amidst all the tragedy so many of us are beginning to see our true purpose and what matters most. I’ve never witnessed more compassion or awareness from my fellow earthlings than I do now, and I believe it will only continue. Keeping the polarity of life and death, beauty and chaos, light and dark at the forefront of my mind helps me find middle ground while appreciating the duality of existence amidst the suffering and the pleasure. I’ve always felt that the worst thing I can feel is nothing, so I remind myself to give gratitude to the discomfort in life as that’s what brings about the light.
