Clay offers a dramatic shift from my work with fiber: weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, painting and fabric collage. I can work large and in the round and unlike the essential nature of weaving, I can work on an entire surface spontaneously and see results quickly.
Remember being told not to get your hands dirty? Working with clay, playing in the mud and getting my hands ‘dirty’ is such a core, primal experience for me. I feel the need to move away from the traditional, historical and technical limitations of clay such as the wheel thrown, symmetrical, contained forms. My intentional is sculptural. I often work quickly. Sometimes I never know what the end result will be. My forms are thrown, cut, altered, stacked, glazed, painted, stamped; anything the clay will accept. The firing cracks and thickness of the piece I am working on reinforces the feeling of improvisation and spontaneity in my creative process.
My work is influenced by ancient Afrakan aesthetics and symbols; it has its origin in nature, it is honoring Ntrt Het Heru, The Sacred Divine Feminine, the ‘goddess in every woman’; it is about the sacredness of life.SHE Pot Ceramic Sculptures are sculpted, braided, and coiled fired earthenware utilitarian forms. They are figurative sculptured pots fashioned into female forms, in two or more pieces, representing ancient Goddesses and “every woman.”
The head of the pot is removable. The body of the pot, symbolic of the universal womb of creation, is to be used as a container to hold treasured personal items.
SHE Pots also function as ceremonial or ritual vessels. In some ancient Afrakan society’s ceremonial vessels were used by the temple priestesses and priests who acted as intermediaries to the spiritual forces for the people. SHE Pots are contemporary ceremonial vessels. In addition to holding your personal small items such as crystals or a ring, the body of the pot can be used to “hold” or “contain” prayers or affirmations.