Clay Bodies
April 11 - May 9, 2025
One Grand Gallery is pleased to present Clay Bodies, a group ceramics show with Portland-based artists James Alby, Savannah Baker, Miranda Karson, and Calvin Wong. This will be the first occasion in which these four makers are presenting work in conversation with one another, melding their distinct styles and mediums.
In ceramic communities, “clay bodies” refers to the specific mixture of clay types used by an artist to achieve a desired effect. Firing temperature, workability, and fired density are all taken into account as the maker formulates and hones their unique technique. For this exhibition, each ceramicist has considered the manner in which fine art intersects with craft and functionality. The artworks on display range from free-standing figures to wall mounted designs, as well as decorative vases, candelabras, and miniature sculptures. This combination of varied ephemera naturally creates moments of interiority within the space of the gallery, allowing viewers to fluidly move between the individual pieces and narratives.
James Alby is a ceramic artist based in Portland, OR, originally from the island of Guam. He began his pottery journey in July 2023. His wheel-thrown creations—sometimes sculptural, chaotic and sometimes flat, calm—are as much about the form as they are about the technical work in the creation of the piece. He often creates in the moment and feels his way through the process rather than planning ahead. He is also a professional skateboarder and creates in many other ways but pottery is his main focus.
Savannah Baker graduated from Boise State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in ceramics and currently resides in Portland, OR. Although her main medium tends to be ceramics she enjoys everything from drawing and painting to film photography. Her works are inspired by imagery from childhood, think Hot Wheels meets Lisa Frank, mixing hyper feminine pastel colors and soft shapes with more masculine imagery and symbolisms.
Miranda Jesse Garcia Karson is an interdisciplinary artist with an emphasis in hand built ceramics. Miranda builds both real and realistic, queered imitations of everyday objects: mugs and stools, apples and pencils, flowers and sculptures of sculptures. They are inspired by magical realism, trinkets, loneliness, thresholds, the body, dream, memory, ritual, and play.
Calvin Wong is an artist based in Portland, Oregon.
Read more here on James Alby’s process in creating the work for Clay Bodies.
@alby_there4u
jamesalby.com
@lady.bluu
www.ladybluu.com
@_miranda.jesse
www.mirandajesseceramics.com
@wongweiceramics
wongweiceramics.com