Throughout history, women have served as artistic muses, their bodies put on display for purposes of both glorification and sexualization.   From the fertility statuette Venus of Willendorf dating back to 28,000 B.C., to Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1485 A.D.) to Irving Penn’s Nude No. 1 (1947 A. D.) to the covers of the numerous magazines lining the check-out counters today, the female body has been a common object on display.  Inadvertently, all of society has been taught to openly look at it, to freely analyze it.  And as a result, the idea that we – as women – can look at ourselves, clearly and uninhibited, is unrealistic.  There is undoubtedly subconscious imprinting from both history and the surrounding world that filters in to our notion of self. 

This new series of work is a reflection of my own self, exploring the complexity I have with my idea of femininity.  Subjectively, the female body is amazing.  It grows and gives life; and yet, there can be this nonsensical idea that the body should not show evidence of this afterwards.  That somehow, females are meant to defy nature, to stop aging, to preserve themselves.  I am guilty of these thoughts, in spite of recognizing the irrationality of them. 

To convey the conflicting emotions of empowerment and self-deprecation, I have rendered the drawings from a severely personal vantage point.  They are formatted in a circular fashion, creating a sense of tunnel vision, alluding to both the physical and psychological peripheries that ultimately skew our perception of self.   The ceramic pieces in this exhibition are snapshots from my life, displaying carefully rendered paintings of things stereotypically female.  However, these things that may help classify me as female are not what defines me as a woman.  I am also a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a professor, an artist, a lover of nature, a protector of animals, and an advocate.   As women, it is imperative that we put our energy into causes that progress our future, and that of our children, rather than insulting ourselves and allowing superficial society to determine our worth.

As women, our awareness of self – of being other than just human – begins when we are just girls. We are expected to be strong, but gentle. Wise, but not overly opinionated. Assertive, but quiet. Busy, but not overwhelmed.

Being a woman, is a coexistence of contradictions.

And our existence is historically defined by how we measure up to our male counterparts. And while we may never be “equal” to men, we are equally as valuable.

This series explores the contradictions and feelings of fragmentation that comes being a woman. Of being a wife, a mother, a human in today’s society.

Throughout history, women have served as artistic muses, their bodies put on display for purposes of both glorification and sexualization.   From the fertility statuette Venus of Willendorf dating back to 28,000 B.C., to Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus (1485 A.D.) to Irving Penn’s Nude No. 1 (1947 A. D.) to the covers of the numerous magazines lining the check-out counters today, the female body has been a common object on display.  Inadvertently, all of society has been taught to openly look at it, to freely analyze it.  And as a result, the idea that we – as women – can look at ourselves, clearly and uninhibited, is unrealistic.  There is undoubtedly subconscious imprinting from both history and the surrounding world that filters in to our notion of self. 

This new series of work is a reflection of my own self, exploring the complexity I have with my idea of femininity.  Subjectively, the female body is amazing.  It grows and gives life; and yet, there can be this nonsensical idea that the body should not show evidence of this afterwards.  That somehow, females are meant to defy nature, to stop aging, to preserve themselves.  I am guilty of these thoughts, in spite of recognizing the irrationality of them. 

To convey the conflicting emotions of empowerment and self-deprecation, I have rendered the drawings from a severely personal vantage point.  They are formatted in a circular fashion, creating a sense of tunnel vision, alluding to both the physical and psychological peripheries that ultimately skew our perception of self.   The ceramic pieces in this exhibition are snapshots from my life, displaying carefully rendered paintings of things stereotypically female.  However, these things that may help classify me as female are not what defines me as a woman.  I am also a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a professor, an artist, a lover of nature, a protector of animals, and an advocate.   As women, it is imperative that we put our energy into causes that progress our future, and that of our children, rather than insulting ourselves and allowing superficial society to determine our worth.

These vessels were born out of frustration and quiet rage. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, and the dismantling of 50 years of protection, I found myself feeling hopeless and helpless. Abortion’s illegality turned from a right to a privilege. And while proportionality it hurts those that are economically and socially more vulnerable, this lack of choice – this lack of human rights – will affect everyone.

Using pun and satire as an access point, I am expressing my anger, my hurt, my worry, my frustrations about being a woman in today’s world. My drawings serve as placards – as billboards – for my politics. The images are subverted and beautifully rendered to showcase pride, hope, and solidarity in this troubled time.

Whelm refers to the act of engulfing or submerging.   This body of work is a reflection of the conflicting feelings of being overwhelmed – of losing myself to all the “have-tos,” “want-tos,” and “need-tos” of life. 

Hair serves as the primary element in this series of work.  I use it as a metaphorical extension of the gut – a visual means to comment on my internalized relationships with my surrounding environment, loved ones, and myself.  I often pair it with recognizable imagery, such as keys, locks, flowers, or a measuring tape.  I use flowers as a means to comment on the many stages of life and our choice of perspective.  Flowers are used on wedding days, gifted with the birth of a baby, but they are also present at funerals and placed upon gravestones.  Perhaps they’re just in bloom, or perhaps they’re showing the first stages of wilt. 

Locks serve as a metaphor for personal reservations, the sort of internalized thoughts that may over time become personal baggage or a sense of burden.  The measuring tape references the fact that we’re always measuring ourselves.  Whether it’s literally on a scale or hypothetically in seeing how we measure up against our colleagues or in comparison to other mothers.

Keys are both a public and personal item.  We hold them in our hands, place in them in our pockets close to our skin, put them in our mouths when our hands are full, they literally open the doors to our personal lives; yet, we tend to drop them on the ground, toss them on top of tables and bars, and hand them over when necessary.   As a mother, my body sometimes feels like both a personal and shared item as well.  Yes, it belongs to me; but, it also belongs to my children.  My lap is usually occupied, my hand is often held, and I have spent multiple years with a baby at my breast.  While I am incredibly thankful for the amazing gift of motherhood, at times it can also be overwhelming to miss oneself  - to miss the individual I was before.

This series of work explores the idea of containment, both physical and psychological.  The human body is the one thing we will carry with us from birth to death.  It houses our most intimate thoughts and feelings – those that may not be readily apparent, while on the outside looking in.   Similarly is the home.  For me, it is a place of great comfort, and therefore also a place where I allow myself to experience the greatest discomfort.  In both my home and body, I am my best self and also my worst self. 

Utilizing the interior space of human anatomy, I create work that is figurative in nature and that explores my personal relationships with intimate spaces.  Each piece is autobiographical, a visual depiction of an attempt to preserve a single moment or feeling in time – a snapshot of my life. 

The finished work is graphic in nature, a combination of anatomically sculpted porcelain and detailed hand-painted underglaze renderings.  Inspired by the layering of graffiti, the process of tattooing, 18th century medical illustrations, and the historical tradition of painting decorative ceramic dinnerware, the pieces are contemporary sculptures rooted in the tradition of craft.

In 2020, with the rise of the pandemic and the closing of galleries and therefore many exhibition opportunities, I shifted my focus to functional items. Traditionally for me, pottery has served as small canvases for me to practice imagery and work through ideas for potentially larger works of art. (Additional functional works are located under the “Women are Funny” page.)

In focusing on a variety of images, from bits of beauty to expressions of humor, I am finding that there’s something for everyone. And with this functional line of work, my art is now more affordable and more accessible, which I love. Thanks to the following galleries for carrying my work (links below):

The Archie Bray, Helena, MT

The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Kate Maller Sustainable Fine Jewelry, Aspen, CO

Arch Contemporary Ceramics Gallery, Tiverton, RI

Or check out my Etsy page at StudioMalloryMallory for more available works.

In late 2016, I developed a line of wearable art.  It was a way for me to not only make my work more affordable – and therefore more accessible – but it also serves as a way for me to give back.   I donate 20% of the sales to nonprofit organizations I want to support. 

All jewelry is porcelain with hand-painted imagery.  Many pieces incorporate gold luster and volcanic rock beads that can be used for essential oils.  All jewelry is nickel-free.  The chains are gunmetal in color and the post earrings are gold plated.

To purchase jewelry, please check out my Etsy page at: StudioMalloryMallory

I absolutely love collaborations and working with other artists. Whether it’s collectively developing a project together or stepping into another person’s studio to assist them with their own artistic goal, I thoroughly enjoy the process of exchanging ideas, problem-solving, and seeing the finished product come to fruition.

Interested in collaborating? Please email me!