I often feel as though I am a walking contradiction as if it is simply impossible to exist as I am. I go back and forth with the opposites of myself and try to make sense of it through my work. I turn my internal chaos into something physically and spiritually healing. Working with clay allows me to translate the constant buzzing in my body into something tangible, something funky. The energy inside me flows directly from my fingertips into the clay, allowing me to create functional pieces that reflect my struggles. I scratch, paint, and carve lines and organic shapes on the surface of the clay that nestle into their surrounding shapes, creating a visual vibration to reflect my inner one. No singular shape makes sense on its own, but when it's surrounded by others that hug and fill the form, it creates a sense of unity, representing my desire to blend in and ability to adapt to those around me. It allows me to release my beautiful struggle into the physical and share my lived experience. Seeing my work have contrasting characteristics, like a stable form with flowing, delicate designs, heals the very thing I despised about myself growing up. It represents who I am in a less chaotic way. I hope that when others interact with my work, they feel a sense of peace like I do.
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