When I look at myself as a person, I can think of many things to call myself. These past few years, a new adjective comes to mind: potter. I have two veins of focus in my work, one natural and the other cultural. The first, natural expression, is an attempt to explore how humans interact with flora and our fascination with the beautiful and the grotesque forms that we coexist with in nature. Pottery is an ancient form of art that speaks to how humans have interacted with the environment for thousands of years. I am one of many, many artists that uses clay to explore our human connection to and love of these non-human beings. I throw vessels on the wheel, then alter them by pushing and pulling the clay around to form organic and floral forms, creating either functional or sculptural objects. The second vein of work I have been developing is more self exploration utilizing the medium. As a Mexican American I have felt the pull between my culture, and the experience of growing up in a predominantly white area. For a long time I felt I had to conceal and dampen my connection to my heritage in order to fit in amongst peers. As I have matured, I realized that my heritage is ingrained in me and helps me honor the memories of my ancestors and the people I love. My work explores this strengthening connection and the idea that both identities can coexist in harmony. Clay acts as a canvas for imagery that represents Mexican motifs and I often use phrases written in both Spanish and English to express duality of myself, but also the unity and healing of identities.
I am a ceramicist living and working out of Knoxville, TN. I found my passion for ceramics through the program at UTK, and spent three years learning the craft before graduating in 2024. Since then, I have begun creating work out of my studio at West Fifth Studios, and working at the Appalachian Arts Craft Center. I am currently a special programs coordinator, studio coordinator, and also teach a wide array of classes at AACC. My love for ceramics expands into every area of it, from throwing on the wheel to creating new glazes to test. When I am not in the studio you can find me spending time with my husband Brian and our cat Franklin. Shoutout to Brian (he made this sick website) and to Frank for the emotional support.