Recently, I have been crafting ceramic stoneware sculptures of soul jars, inspired by the face jugs created by enslaved African artisans. These works are my way of honoring the resilience, creativity, and stories of those who came before me. They are vessels for memory and a larger narrative of identity and collective history.
This work of mine, “Addenda, Auntie Vicky’s Soul Jar,” was the farthest I have pushed this idea. It is a 6lb jar made to honor and store a soul. She passed away from bone cancer before I was born, and although I never met her, I feel her absence. She was supposed to be the black matriarchal figure in my life, and her passing left me without one. Through my work, I explored loss, curiosity, and life. Moreso, I was able to expand on a narrative that was Vicky’s life.
6LB, 12×12×12, about the size and weight of an actual head?…
Recently, I have been crafting ceramic stoneware sculptures of soul jars, inspired by the face jugs created by enslaved African artisans. These works are my way of honoring the resilience, creativity, and stories of those who came before me. They are vessels for memory and a larger narrative of identity and collective history.
This work of mine, “Addenda, Auntie Vicky’s Soul Jar,” was the farthest I have pushed this idea. It is a 6lb jar made to honor and store a soul. She passed away from bone cancer before I was born, and although I never met her, I feel her absence. She was supposed to be the black matriarchal figure in my life, and her passing left me without one. Through my work, I explored loss, curiosity, and life. Moreso, I was able to expand on a narrative that was Vicky’s life.
6LB, 12×12×12, about the size and weight of an actual head?…
