Being an artist has turned me into a researcher: While exploring ceramic art, I came across several puzzling foundational paradigms rooted in the basics of pottery-making and female identity. On one hand, archeologists and historians attribute pottery and working with clay in nearly all civilizations as a feminine craft. On the other hand, however, if we delve into the roots of the historical chronicles of ceramic art, we find that all the documented, signed pottery in the world museum collections has been produced by male artists. Female-produced ceramics are considered to have little or no esthetic value and are often labeled as “anonymous” or “No Name”.
In my No Name project I deliberately use simple archaic silhouettes of the ancient vessels, linking historical traditions to the modern role of women in contemporary society. I combine wheel throwing and “urdido” sculpting, one of the most ancient methods still used in many parts of the world, mainly by women.
My vessels are full-bodied in shape and form. Colors and surfaces are inspired by makeup aesthetics. It is my gender-related commentary linked to a so-called truly “feminine touch” and a way to pay homage to the women who have gone unnamed in the world of ceramics. Every piece is an embodiment of something that I as a woman encounter in my daily routine dictated by gender socialization and hierarchies of a binary nature.
no name moodboard
