Intumesce

glazed ceramic

7 x 7 x 9 inches

Courtesy of The Artist

Amber Dawn Ellis is a multi-media artist working in fiber and ceramics with a background in photography and film. Their practice employs ceramics and fiber to create objects that explore the notion of play. Amber's use of tactile intuition and their admiration of the natural world lay the foundation for their playful designs. Amber is a former Studio Access Resident whose work was featured at Collectors' Night in 2024.

"My work explores emotional and sensory memories of play and the ways that they can inform and spark imagination through interconnected binaries. As a child, wonder and curiosity for the natural world was intrinsic. Anxiety stemming from social pressures and perceived binaries as an adolescent hindered that wonder. Reconnecting with the innate desire to observe, learn and imagine in adulthood is at the heart of my artistic practice. Attempting to understand the way organisms feed on each other, grow, decay and create new life informs every step of my process.

I utilize materials that can be easily manipulated with simple tools. Hand-building ceramics and fiber techniques require both flexibility and tension to intuitively craft organic forms and patterns. Utilizing tactile intuition by entangling and shaping materials connects me to my natural abilities and playful desires. This process allows me to find new ways of portraying aggression, tenderness, anxiety and sensuality through texture and form. Color is used to emphasize or contradict these senses. The functionality of these objects, while often minimal, represents the opposing force of practicality in relation to play.

There is a desire for my work to live between realms and embody moments that fade into altered memories and inform dreams. To create something my inner child is ignited by. Something from the deepest corner of a forest I have never visited. Something that brings to surface the opposing forces that live entangled, deep beneath my skin. Something that is alluring and off-putting, comfortable and harsh, beautiful and grotesque."