SHAPING MEMORIES:¬
EXPRESSIONS IN CLAY
Pattie Chalmers, Every Day I Think of You, 2019. Terracotta. Courtesy of the artist. Photography by Echard Wheeler.
Installation image of Rae Stern, Outside Time, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Ferrin Contemporary. Photography by Echard Wheeler.
Hollie Lyko, Gun Control, (No One's Listening), 2019. Dremel-erased vintage praying hands plates, circa 1976. Courtesy of the artist and Ferrin Contemporary. Photography by Echard Wheeler.
Ehren Tool, Cups, 2021. Stoneware with glaze and decals. Photography by Echard Wheeler.
Jiha Moon, Reclining, 2017. Earthenware, underglaze, glaze. Courtesy of Mindy Solomon Gallery.
Roberto Lugo, Good Trouble, 2020. Glazed ceramic and enamel paint. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, photographed by Dominic Episcopo.
NOVEMBER 27, 2021–MARCH 6, 2022
The power of memory is immeasurable. Individual recollections are the building blocks of our sense of self, while collective memories help define our culture. In this exhibition, six artists use clay to explore formative moments in their lives as well as stories passed down through generations, inviting viewers to consider both the uniqueness of every individual and our shared identities.
Clay has been used to create functional and decorative objects for millennia. The artists in Shaping Memories continue the rich artistic tradition of clay, exploring its creative potential and versatility. A ceramic object can preserve information about the society in which it was made for thousands of years, a charge these artists take seriously in the creation of their work. What happens when people, cultures, and traditions are forgotten, and histories are erased? How can objects help us remember, honor, and share stories of our time?
FEATURED ARTISTS
Pattie Chalmers
Roberto Lugo
Hollie Lyko
Jiha Moon
Rae Stern
Ehren Tool
Organized by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Curated by Alison Byrne, Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Education.
Special thanks to presenting sponsor Atlantic Union Bank with additional support from Dr. Jordan Asher and Ms. Jody Mattison, and The Lynn and Rachel Schoenbaum Fund.
EVENTS
Coffee + Conversation: Memory & Myths
December 16, 2022
Join us for a casual conversation exploring current exhibitions. This month we will be joined by Kendall King, Co-director of Visible Records in Charlottesville, VA. We will be looking at selected works of art from Shaping Memories: Expressions in Clay and discussing art as an act of memory and how art can help us to remember, honor, and fight against cultural myths
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Artists & Curator Conversation
January 27, 2022
Join Alison Byrne, Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Education for a conversation with Shaping Memories: Expressions in Clay artists Jiha Moon, Ehren Tool, and Pattie Chalmers. The artists will discuss their work on view at Virginia MOCA.
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Gallery Talk with Rae Stern
March 6, 2022
Join us for a gallery talk with Shaping Memories: Expressions in Clay artist Rae Stern. Stern is a multimedia artist working in ceramics, photography, paper, and textiles. Her immersive installation on view at Virginia MOCA titled Outside Time was originally created during a residency in Kansas City.
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AUDIO
Listen to the Shaping Memories: Expressions in Clay Audio Tour. Hear from the artists directly about their work on view at Virginia MOCA.
VIDEOS
Hear from the artists
Roberto Lugo grew up in a North Philadelphia neighborhood better known for poverty and crime than for pottery. Yet the 40-year-old artist's ceramics, featuring the faces of his personal heroes, put a modern spin on classic teapots.