Master's Theses

Department

Art

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Abstract

My work is a continuous dialogue between ancient symbolism and contemporary womanhood, weaving together personal experience, historical reference, and natural form. Through clay and mixed media, I explore the layered identities women inhabit—nurturer, creator, survivor, transformer—often drawing inspiration from early figurative sculpture, myth, and the cyclical patterns found in nature. Unearthed and Exposed speaks to the heart of my practice: revealing what has been buried, silenced, or overlooked, and bringing it to light through form and material. I am particularly drawn to the timelessness of the feminine figure and the stories it holds. From Paleolithic Venus figurines to amphora vessels, from the spiral’s sacred geometry to the quiet intimacy of undergarments, I reimagine these symbols to reflect modern experiences of resilience, desire, and power.

Rooted in my own vulnerabilities, the work draws from lived experience—my body becoming both subject and vessel, shaped by insecurities, questions, and quiet strengths that echo far beyond the personal. The process of creating this body of work has unearthed parts of my truest self, while simultaneously exposing me in unexpected ways. In that exposure lies a new kind of vulnerability— raw, uncomfortable, and necessary.

Nature plays a vital role in this narrative. The cocoons I sculpt evoke metamorphosis—fragility intertwined with strength—mirroring the internal and external transformations women undergo throughout life. The materials I use, raw and tactile, emphasize that duality and invite reflection on what it means to evolve, to endure, and to emerge. At its core, this exhibition is about reclamation—of voice, of space, of story. It is a celebration of the beauty, struggle, and strength unearthed in each of us, and the power of being fully, unapologetically exposed.

Keywords

Ceramics, sculpture, figurative, amphorae, female

Advisor

Linda Ganstrom

Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Rights

© The Author

Comments

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