Wheel-thrown & altered stoneware clay, slips & glazes, gold luster // 2011
This was a final project for "Intro to Ceramics: Wheel-Thrown Form;" the task was to make a place setting for anyone.
Bangladeshi, Muslim
Hainanese, Irish, Puerto Rican
Each dinner piece explores the identity it is assigned to, then the halves are joined to tell the whole story of the couple. Culture and family has been a big part of my life, which is why I decided to choose my boyfriend, Sami, and myself as the two people completing one place setting. This was an exploration in the religious, ceramic, and personal culture of another loved one, as well as a re-discovery of my own blend of ethnicities.
"China Bowl, Sari Bowl" (detail: Sami)
- My sister made up a name for our mixed ethnicity, she called it "chi-rish-ican." Jenny's half of the plate references Asian characters and imagery on fine China porcelain, rustic celtic knots, and indigenous hispanic patterns.
- Sami's half of the plate is more traditional, referencing the arabic language and words of the Qu'ran. The phrase "assalamualaikum" came up so many times whenever I was around sami: in his neighborhood, in his home, and in all of the homes of his aunties and uncles. It's a simple greeting meaning "may peace be upon you."
All of the dinner pieces have a key, fitting itself into it's matching half.
"Racist Cups: Sami & Jenny" (left: Sami, right: Jenny)
These two halves comment on racism and stereotypes within both people's lives.
"Jia Bui Boh? Thumi Kee Kyay Cho"
