The clay vessel is a body. We use language like foot, belly, and lip to refer to parts of the cup. These clay vessels are my body. The intersection of eating and ceramic objects has been a point of fascination for me recently. Humans have been using clay as a tool to provide and serve food for millennia. Consuming food is an essential bodily function to keep our bodies alive and operational. When we digest food, our body has the ability to absorb the nutrients it needs to survive and excrete what is of no use.

 

In these works I am taking bites out of my skin and leaving teeth marks in the clay. I am cannibalizing myself. To eat oneself can be understood as an act of filtration or purification. By consuming myself, I am reclaiming control over my body. Parts that cause me discomfort are filtered out, while the rest is absorbed and accepted as a part of who I am.