Maddy Inez
Ceramicist
Pasadena, CA, USA
Sci-fi clay and botanical forms
- Maddy's figural ceramics are inspired by gardens near her workshop in Los Angeles
- Her Fire Followers series draws on wildflowers that bloom exclusively after wildfires
- She sees art as a way of understanding and thinking critically about the world
Through her science fiction-inspired ceramic vessels, Maddy Inez adopts an approach to art that questions the world around her. She is influenced by mythical characters, as well as by nature and plants that can be found growing near her workshop. "I am the daughter and granddaughter of artists. I grew up surrounded by art," Maddy says. As part of the Los Angeles ceramic community, her connection to the craft is tied to the ancient relationship between clay and humans. "We have created everything, from functional pieces for cooking or bricks for building, to votives and sculptures modelled after both humans and deities," she explains. Today, Maddy creates art about land, earth and colonialism, and explores the correlation between humans and land.
INTERVIEW
My process starts with research: looking at a plant, a botanical drawing or through my microscope. Then, I draw different elements that accumulate into the shape of a vessel, like a seedling for the head of the piece or a leaf for the handles or the feet. Finally, I start sculpting.
I am interested in volcano glazes, which achieve craters and texture. I really like crawl glazes, which articulate in the kiln and clump together to make beads of glaze. I am drawn to it because I can create several layers and mimic natural forms such as soil, leaves or ground.
Science fiction seeps into the aesthetic of my pieces. In the book Sister Mine, a spirit possesses a kudzu plant, an invasive species that is overgrown. The image of this giant plant walking through the city tearing things down stayed with me and is quite obvious in my work.
Our societal priorities are deeply misguided. The world is built on the premise that humans exist above nature and land, both of which are commodified and reduced to property to be owned, sold and dominated. Once that mentality changes, the relationship between the two can improve.
Maddy Inez
Ceramicist
Pasadena, CA, USA
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Pasadena, CA, USA
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English
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