This vase is a derivative of my Portrait collection; the vase features a woman on each side, one with a fire at her throat, and the other with a pattern, which may be interpreted as rain or seeds. They are surrounded by olive-toned plant life and become one with the overgrown environment.
In this sculptural jar series, the artist draws on iconography surrounding nature, women and the history of Western art to question our place in the order of things. Women and nature have been subjugated to the whims of those in power for centuries; by highlighting this connection through pastiche and surface decoration, she offers an alternative narrative. In the most apparent manifestation, Creation Myth, the artist forces the examination of an age-old story: that God is a man, and man is first. By centering women, the artist’s primary effort is to cement women’s place in the canon. References to artists like Michaelangelo and Matisse draw connections across time to highlight the thread that binds.
Earth Needs Us Both, 2019. Sculpture
Earth Needs Us Both, 2019
Porcelain vase with underglaze Sgraffito detailing.
Dimensions: 8.75 H x 6 W x 2 D in.
Hodge studied and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Ceramics, with notable exhibitions such as Unsung Muses and Eyes That Bind, graduating summa cum laude and receiving honors such as the Outstanding Undergraduate Award. Here, clay became the conduit that allowed her to speak of her experience and, more importantly, her frustrations. Always curious to acquire more knowledge and skills, she pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Miami. There she obtained the summer scholarship and the William Oberman Award, and graduated summa cum laude. During this time, she moved from expressions of anger to prioritizing love between women, the deep well of internal feminine landscapes and the historical exploration of women in relation to the present through ceramic material. Since then, her works have been exhibited at the Morean Arts Center, Arts Benicia and the Imurj Gallery, among others. She currently resides in rural Georgia, where she transforms her stories into sculptures that reveal what has been historically hidden.
