Clay in Color (Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Alex Anderson)

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with George Rodriguez. He creates lavishly adorned figurative sculptures that aim to build community. In our interview, we talk about the charged history of the “decorative,” how he sees flowers as an accessible motif, and the pleasure of decorative surfaces. We also discuss the universality of his work and working towards more immersive experiences. We end our chat discussing an exciting large-scale commission he has been working on. 

Today, on Clay in Color, we chat with Murjoni Merriweather. She creates stylized figurative sculptures that celebrate Black beauty. In our interview, she talks about her unconventional approach to sculpting and materials, mainly using synthetic hair and glitter, and the evolution towards producing successful mixed media pieces. We also discuss staying open to learning new things, positive residencies, and getting ideas from dreams. Furthermore, she explains how her sculptures celebrate Black folks and their importance as a historical record.  

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Ashwini Bhat. She creates abstract and organic sculptures that reflect on self and place. In our interview, we talk about rituals in her life and practice, having a nomadic lifestyle before moving to California, and the joy of stillness. We also discuss her passionate pursuit of understanding the natural environment around her and the role of collaboration in her practice. Furthermore, we chat about color choices and the symbolism of the Calla Lily.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Melvino Garretti. He creates mixed media sculptures and paintings that reflect his pursuit as an “urban and suburban anthropologist.” In our interview, we talk about his thoughts on why his work is having a moment, his artistic process, and his role as a collector. We also discuss making art about the Black experience but through a universal lens, his interpretation of relationships as a carnival, and his advice for young artists. 

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Sharif Farrag. He creates bold psychedelic and subversive ceramic sculptures that tap psychological depths to manifest a multitude of emotions, from laughter to pain. In our interview, we talk about Farrag’s experience growing up Muslim in post 9/11 US while immersed in California’s skateboarding culture and how these multiple influences inevitably come out in his work. We also discuss ideas of cultural assimilation and working towards one’s most authentic self.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today, on Clay in Color, we chat with Syd Carpenter. She creates sculptures that center the geopolitical history and social mobility of Black farmers and gardeners in America. In our interview, she provides affirmations and advice on not ignoring our creative impulses, deciding to become artists, and continuing to make despite challenges. We also discuss how gardens and the drive to tend the land as a Black American became essential to her personal life and practice, and how she has explored the subject matter in her practice for decades. Furthermore, she talks about coming up with a three-dimensional vocabulary, the metaphysical aspect of her work, and the importance of eliminating the anonymity of Black contributions to gardening and farming.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

AMACO Brent www.amaco.com

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Beth Lo. She creates sculptures and vessels that reflect her Chinese American experience through the motif of children. In our interview, we talk about childhood as a crucial moment for imagination, turning to cute imagery of children at a time when “macho” aesthetics were considered superior and how raising a child influenced how this motif evolved. We also discuss whether there is such a thing as an “Asian American aesthetic” and the role of food as a motif in her practice.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Narumi Nekpenekpen. She creates small-scale hyper-detailed tenderly-rendered sculptures that speak to vulnerability. In our interview, we talk about translating negative and positive thoughts and emotions into clay and how her sculptures are almost like pages on a diary. We also discuss how having Japanese as her first language has encouraged her to find poetic ways of expression within the aesthetics and titles of her sculptures.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Join curator Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and ceramic artist Alex Anderson as they discuss the aesthetics of optimism in contemporary ceramics. Humor, cuteness, and the decorative will be jumping off points for conversations with young professionals of color who are shaping the field today.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Bony Ramirez. He creates mixed media paintings and sculptures of Black and Brown figures that represent the diversity of contemporary Caribbean life with the underlying tension of colonialism and its effects. In our interview, we talk about Ramirez's life before and after his "big break" in 2020 and the emotional toll of his journey towards becoming an artist with a self-taught background. We also discuss gatekeeping and arbitrary expectations and labels of the art world, his multilayered approach to art-making, and his could-have-been career as a ceramicist. Furthermore, he tells us about his plans to evolve his practice in the future and how he is working to represent his own pain and healing in his work more directly. 

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Amia Yokoyama. She creates clay sculptures and animations that explore reality from the lens of internet world-building. In our interview, we talk about the richness of fantasy as a space of creativity and expanding preconceived notions of reality, especially in the digital landscape. We also discuss her pursuit of fluidity in both her ceramic and animation work and how these two practices inform and transform into each other. Furthermore, she tells us about her research into fetish avatars as representations of otherness and the ways in which we download multiple selves into avatars.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Anina Major. She creates ceramic sculptures, mixed media installations, videos, and performances about the relationship between self and place from a Caribbean diasporic lens. In our interview, we talk about how she developed the language of plaiting in her vessels from traditions of straw weaving in the Bahamas and her love of materials. We also discuss guilt as a starting point for the investigations in her practice, how her feelings have changed as her practice evolved, and ideas of universality and specificity in the perspectives she shares. Furthermore, she tells us about the process of creating one of her installations and its symbolism.

Angelik and Alex are back for a new series of Clay in Color! This season they bring you conversations with young professionals and established artists of color who are shaping the field of ceramics today. New episodes drop on Tuesdays starting August 16th.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Jolie Ngo. She creates 3D-printed ceramic vessels that bridge the past and future of ceramics. In our interview, we talk about how she became interested in the vessels as her go-to form and her excitement and trepidation coming into her next venture, furniture-making. We also discuss the influence of digital platforms on her vision of world-making, the vessel as a container of memory, and as well as the link between her sobriety and her practice. Furthermore, she tells us her sentiments about being labeled a “designer” and issues of the “handmade.”

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Diana “Didi” Rojas. She creates ceramic sculptures of brand-name shoes, from sneakers to high heels. In our interview, we talk about seeing her shoe sculptures as portraits of the wearer and a reflection of social media-driven consumerism. We also discuss the resourcefulness of her practice and how collaborations with brands have informed and supported her work. Furthermore, she tells us about performance, labor, and playfulness in her process and imagining her sculptures as future artifacts.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Maya Vivas. They create sinuous sculptures that are “moving but not moving” and behave like autonomous bodies. In our interview, we talk about Vivas’s background as a performer and how that influences how they work with ceramics, the swirling language that has become signature to their work, and their clay performances. We also discuss how they center play and pleasure even when addressing issues that affect Black and queer communities. Furthermore, they share about life in London, and their return to painting.    

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

AMACO Brent www.amaco.com

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Today, on Clay in Color, we chat with Ryan Flores. He creates bountiful sculptures of vegetation in a psychedelic array of glazes. In our interview, he talks about vegetation as an extension of his formal exploration of the figurative, the relationship between beauty and spectacle, and his love for working exclusively with clay and glaze. We also discuss how geography has affected his practice, trying to control results as much as possible, and letting go of preoccupations with repetition. Furthermore, he talks about the shifts he sees young artists making in the field.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Alake Shilling. She creates fantastical clay sculptures and paintings of cute animals that reflect the emotional diversity of humanity. In our interview, we talk about having the courage to be an artist and empowering ourselves and others to be our truest selves despite pressure from systems of oppression, including those in the art world. We also discuss the aesthetics of childhood and the major role they play in Shilling’s worldview, and how she challenges the rejection of color and comfort in adulthood. Furthermore, she tells us about her desire to make her work accessible and relatable and the surprising responses she receives about her work.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color we chat with Emily Yong Beck. She creates hand-built vessels based on historical ceramics and sculptures of popular cartoons. In our interview we talk about the fallacy of the Rococo as the pinnacle of sophistication and how porcelain’s charged history is often ignored. We also discuss the cuteness of Japanese Kawaii as a tool of propaganda and experiencing cartoons as an adult with a critical lens. Furthermore, she tells us about moving past her painting phase and committing to ceramics.

Today, on Clay in Color, we chat with Roxanne Jackson. She creates fantastical sculptures that combine beauty and horror. In our interview, she talks about finding beauty in unexpected places, her fascination with sci-fi and horror imagery as a way of reconnecting with nature, and her background as a river guide. We also discuss her fruitful time alone in her new home during the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing ceramics as minerals and drawing from global mythology and lore. Furthermore, she talks about her engagement with taboo imagery, specifically guts, as a symbol of connectivity and of digesting trauma.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Kristy Moreno. She creates badass femme and nonbinary figures in clay and paint to examine the bonds between social, political, and personal narratives. In our interview, we talk about ideas of futurism, 90s television superheroes and supervillains as inspiration for her characters, and her practice as a form of building community and achieving survival. We also discuss her use of soft colors to contrast the sharp gazes of her figures and the incorporation of makeup and accessories historically used by Latine women and nonbinary people.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Maryam Yousif. She creates tender and playful contemporary interpretations of ancient Mesopotamian figurines and objects. In our interview, we talk about how these sculptures help her learn about herself and strengthen her connection to her homeland of Iraq. We also discuss how her figurines serve as avatars and how they are inspired by Arab pop queens. Furthermore, she tells us about the pure joy of making ceramics and how that translates into their familiar nature, and how fashion and music play a role in how they look.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Chanakaran “Punch” Semachai. She creates boldly colored and patterned vessels and sculptures of dinosaurs that poke fun at the human condition. In our first international interview, we talk about how isolation as a graduate student in the United States prompted her to develop her signature dinosaur characters, her “everything but the kitchen sink” attitude about color, and balancing humor and darkness in her scenes. We also discuss her funny titles as an expression of the human condition and the idea of dinosaurs navigating social media.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Sydnie Jimenez. She creates ceramics of Black and Brown figures with distinctive attitudes and personal styles. In our interview, we talk about taking up space and wanting to create accessibility while protecting the figures and whom they represent. We also discuss her unconventional, creative process and how subconsciously her friends and family influence her sculptures. Furthermore, she tells us about the importance of music to her practice and thoughts on the trope of the clown, a recurrent motif in her practice.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Grant Levy-Lucero. He creates vessels as canvases for paintings of signs around Los Angeles of recognizable products. In our interview, we talk about his first time visiting Seoul, how he started working with clay, and finding a form and imagery that would make his art accessible. We also discuss his start in the fashion industry and trying to diversify his practice. Furthermore, we chat about making his surfaces more three-dimensional.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Natalia Arbelaez. She creates humorous sculptures in clay that explore Latinx identities as affected by colonialism. In our interview, we talk about her research into the Muisca people, her indigenous ancestors in Colombia, and how she has made their aesthetics and untold stories a priority in her practice. We also discuss the material histories of terracotta and majolica and how they visually translate the effects of colonialism in Latin America. Furthermore, she tells us about her ongoing research into her own lineage, as well as into the work of other women ceramicists of color, for which she crafts homage pieces to celebrate their practices.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Yvette Mayorga. She creates ceramic sculptures and acrylic paintings that resemble delectable cakes and pastries that subversively critique the idea of the American Dream. In our interview, we talk about Mayorga’s discovery of Rococo excess through Catholic decorativeness, embracing rasquachismo through unexpected materials and strategies, and her intentional use of pink as an exploration of expectations of femininity. We also discuss how she uses self-adornment as a form of expression in her personal life, which is transferred iconographically to her work. Furthermore, we discuss the fallacy of the American Dream and how she hopes to create spaces for dreaming.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Joel Gaitan. He creates personified earthenware vessels that mirror his friends, family, and himself while drawing from the ceramic language of early Mesoamerican ceramics. In our interview, we talk about how Gaitan found his way to ceramics and how he rethinks museological displays as a celebration. We also discuss growing up in a religious household, how he reconnects to his Nicaraguan heritage as a first-generation Miamian, and wanting to portray “big bodies” through his ceramics. Furthermore, he shares his thoughts on complex terms such as “Latinidad” and “pre-Columbian.”

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

AMACO Brent www.amaco.com

The Bray www.archiebray.org

Angelik and Alex are back for a new series of Clay in Color!  Season three features eighteen interviews with emerging and established artists of color who are shaping the field of ceramics today. New episodes drop every other Wednesday starting November 15th.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Linda Lopez. She creates playful ceramic sculptures of dust that, while abstract, recall both living creatures and inanimate objects. In our interview, we talk about Lopez’s parents’ role in instilling a sense of wonder and animism in her and how it has influenced her practice. We also discuss the evolution of her “Furries” and how she does not back down from a challenge despite how surprising clay can be.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Clay in Color. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of Distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Roberto Lugo. He creates portrait vessels of Black and Brown icons that incorporate graffiti and Hip-Hop iconography and references to historical ceramics. In our interview, we talk about making Lugo’s legacy about giving back to his community and making ceramics a more accessible medium to combat systemic racism. We also discuss the risk in portraiture, anxiety around being in the spotlight, and how coming from “the ghetto” has influenced his practice.

Today on Clay in Color, we chat with Karla Ekatherine Canseco. She creates grotesque sculptures that explore identity, home, and the body. In our interview, we talk about the Xoloitzcuintle (hairless dog) as a guide in Mexican mythology and in her personal life, ideas of return and nostalgia, and using and reusing matter as a signifier of sentimentality and the different moments of time. We also discuss her work as a sum of parts, and its existence in the tension between solidity and the verge of collapse.