Artist Statement

 

Two years have gone by since starting my journey with clay, a medium that I have never been exposed to. Coming from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, our traditional artworks are made from plants. I’ve begun pulling inspiration from my tribe; creating our traditional dolls, that used palmetto fibers gathered from the trees.

 

When producing these ceramic dolls, the technique used is hand building. Similar to how my people are known for our patchwork that is sewn onto our skirts and dresses. I mimic the designs with underglaze, glaze, lusters or acrylic paints.  As a last step before considering my dolls complete, I use stringed beads and not clay beads, they are then wrapped multiple times around the neck. Our women used to wear numerous beaded necklaces. These beaded necklaces symbolized our age, we receive the first strand as a baby, and they continue even into old age. I decided to use real beads for my dolls, not as an aesthetic choice, but to honor my tribal traditions.