Clay in Color – Details, episodes & analysis

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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.”