20/20

Clay, wood ash, saggar fired, waxed, photograph

For the 8th Annual Alchemical Vessel Exhibition, Silver Linings, each participant was given a 12 inch wood bowl as the base of their design. I burned the bowl to signify the ordeals of 2020. These ordeals gave us an opportunity to think deeply about our relationships, symbolized by two vessels made of clay, a medium that reminds us of our shared origins. I included the wood ash in a firing method that leaves distinctive marks, verifying the transformation that occurred. The title, 20/20, refers to this extraordinary year and to the clarity of vision we acquired through it.

Alison Kysia is a potter and multimedia artist whose work centers Muslims, Islam, and Islamophobia. She is currently creating a series of socially engaged artwork in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 in 2021.