About the exhibition

Clay captures the mark of the human hand unlike any other medium.  While it is almost obvious to consider it balm for our techno-centric world, its superpowers are undeniable: what other material, in its earthiness/tactility/associations, reminds us that we have hands/mouths/feet and connects us with past/present/future in a single work.

This selection of works captures the direct marks of NIAD artists living and working in our local creative community. These sculptural objects represent a dip into the continuum of conversations humans have with clay — via functional pottery, ritual artifacts, portraiture, craftivism, the blob — the ongoing interpretation and reinterpretation of life, evoking the familiar and offering glimpses into complex interior worlds.

A classmate from my art school days said, “artifacts always win.”  As a young art student I had a limited understanding of her statement.  Today my interpretation of her words is that handmade objects have a unique longevity because coded into them, whether through material, technique or mark of the maker, is a specific time and place.  Humble, concrete evidence of our history on this planet. A record of the myriad ways we are human, the ways we live and create.

View the exhibition.