Western studio ceramics has long operated insularly, its conversations largely self-referential – with perhaps the occasional romanticization of Eastern ceramic traditions. This provincial perspective toward a material as globally shared as clay inhibits meaningful cross-cultural exchange of material knowledge. In recent decades, there has been a tonal shift to expand the horizons of cultural clay representation within Western conversations. This expansion undeniably benefits our community by diversifying voices, encouraging equity, and extending the bounds of our collective ceramic arts knowledge. Even though Western ceramic conversations now include more multicultural perspectives, I believe a lack of representation remains. The underrepresented perspective I speak to here extends beyond culture – toward the inclusion of non-clay craft traditions. Crafts of all mediums have interplayed and mutually influenced one another throughout history – exchanging colors, motifs, processes, and more. It would be naive to believe that ceramics as a craft has operated this long without absorbing qualities from other non-clay craft traditions. Nonetheless, conversations within ceramic arts culture often fail to consider the full breadth of craft influences within our medium. While it is easy to dismiss other crafts in our embrace of clay's iconic and irreplicable materiality, I encourage us to consider our practice through a much wider craft lens.
Within my personal studio practice, I am frequently inspired by and incorporate multimedia craft elements within my work. Bronze casts, rattan weavings, and rice paper are among the non-clay materials I incorporate into my practice. For me, the inclusion of non-clay crafts recalls “old world” aesthetics and production methods, posing questions tied to globalization, non-Western labor, cultural artifacts, and value projections toward the so-called “underdeveloped” world. These inclusions also broaden my material vernacular, expanding reference points across sculpture and craft while further diversifying what “ceramic art” can mean – and what it means to be a clay artist. These personal artistic motivations have also inspired my intentions for this issue of Studio Potter. I invited three artists who incorporate non-Western and non-clay craft traditions into their ceramic practices to write about these inclusions and share why non-clay craft is integral to their work. The multimedia craft authors Anela Ming-Yue Oh, Michael Takahata, and Nicholas Malik Izon McDonald present their personal practices of ceramics and interdisciplinary crafts to expand clay conversations beyond the confines of the sole material. Each author presents a unique perspective on clay through their widened material usage, processes, and cultural craft influences.
In Min-Yue Oh’s article, “Weaving Cultural Connections Through Materials,” she outlines the ways in which her multidisciplinary practice fosters her deep relationship to her Malaysian heritage and the cultural crafts of Hawai’i – where she currently lives and operates. In addition to clay, Ming-Yue Oh’s frequent use of paper and fiber crafts deepens her connection to materiality, “…for the softness of fiber makes ceramic feel more intense….” Her inclusions of Malaysian wax resist dyeing batik and Hawaiian kapa papermaking position her practice as a bridge between cultures, identities, and ancestry. Takahata approaches the intersection of materials parallel to the intersection of his own identities and stories. In his article, “Japanese & Finnish Wood Techniques X Ceramic,” Takahata recounts his early exposure to wood crafts from both sides of his heritage and how these influences shape his work today. He emphasizes the power embedded in materials and how, in combination, these materials become something greater, “…through layered materials, I seek to honor the moments in our lives that mark us and the people who change us. Talismanic archetypes that offer opportunities for connection and self-reflection.” And in McDonald’s article, he dissects definitions of Black art by examining the ways in which materials are charged within an Afro-Diasporic context. His article, “Active Adaptation of Material and Meaning,” presents his research based studio practice inspired by the imbued object: “…objects capable of spiritual action, made with the purpose to move energy and the hearts of people.” McDonald interconnects imbued materials such as roofing tar, tobacco, ash, and raw soils with an often fibrous clay within his studio – entangling identity, spirituality, and histories through multimedia ceramic sculptures.
As you read this issue, I hope you reconsider the expansiveness of our craft in conversation between materials. All three authors engage meaningfully with non-clay materials while still confidently situating themselves within a ceramics practice. Though their writing does not focus solely on clay, it is precisely this perspective that I hope will broaden our shared language and perception of the craft. I firmly believe that expanding these material perspectives strengthens the foundation upon which our practices rest – aesthetically, conceptually, and culturally. I would like to extend my thanks to the authors, the editors at Studio Potter, and you, the reader, for taking part in these conversations – for listening, reflecting, and engaging with new ideas and narratives within our community. It is a privilege to uplift the voices of these multimedia artists and authors whose practices resonate deeply with my own. I hope you enjoy reading and learning more about their work as much as I enjoyed editing and collaborating with them.
About the Editor-at-Large
Micah Lewis-Văn Sweezie is a ceramic artist from Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are shaped and influenced by dichotomous elements of culture and craft from their upbringing in both Vietnam and America. They earned their BFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2022, focused in ceramics and sculpture. Micah self-conducted a study abroad to Vietnam in 2023 to research ancient and contemporary forms of Vietnamese ceramic production – this research trip was supported in part by the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) Regina Brown Undergraduate Student Fellowship. Micah’s work has been exhibited in group and solo shows nationally including Eutectic Gallery, Baltimore Clayworks, and the NCECA Annual Exhibition. They’ve also received various grants and fellowships including the NCECA Multicultural fellowship and the Artaxis x Haystack fellowship. Micah is also recognized as a 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellow and dually, a 2025 Northern Indiana Clay Alliance Emerging Artist. Currently Micah is an artist-in-residence and educator at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.