Jessica Cooke

My work is inspired by the emotional layers of my own identity and the personal relationships with those that I care deeply for. I explore topics of nostalgia and sentimentality in my art, as the experiences from my past have shaped me into who I am today. The process of creating art is healing for me, as it allows me to sort through my unsettled emotions and learn to accept and forgive the inevitable realities of life. My childhood memories inspire me to pair soft textures and pastel colors together with subjects found in nature to create an intimate perspective into my own emotional experiences and encourage others to look deep within themselves and discover what is meaningful to them.

I design the surface of my wheel-thrown ceramic forms with various slips and underglazes. My pieces are hand-painted, stamped, and incised with care, using the clay's surface as a canvas for patterns and imagery that reflect my emotions. My art is a representation of my hopes, dreams, desires, struggles, traumas, and insecurities. An expression of my identity, from who I am now and who I aspire to become.