My work is a continued exploration of myself and my place within the high desert terrain I now call home. I draw inspiration from the atmospheric phenomena and geologic formations abundant in this landscape and I utilize these materials extensively in my creative process. By respectfully collaborating with the wild clay, locally sourced rocks, minerals, sand, and trees, I aim to create pottery that embodies the essence of the rugged environment where they have rested for millennia. Using these materials, I’ve built deep bonds between myself and the locations where I place my feet.

My focus is on experimentation and continued growth, both of my person and of my ceramic practice. Production is secondary, each completed piece is the result of a meticulous and thoughtful process, where I carefully consider the unique qualities of the available materials and how they can be transformed into vessels that reflect the spirit of this place. Always seeking to push the boundaries of my creativity, my work employs both modern and traditional approaches to the creation and adornment of my vessels. My goal is to create pieces that serve as a visual representation of the landscape’s wild beauty and its rich history. Seeing my current body of work as ‘a love letter to the high desert’, I aim to evoke a sense of appreciation and reverence for the natural world, while also showcasing the unique artistic expression that emerges from the collaboration between human hands and the raw materials of the land.

As a self-taught, independent ceramic artist, I pursue my craft nearly entirely in solitude. Creating in this manner has enabled me to really dig deep into my own creativity with little distraction, barriers, or preconceptions. My dedication to the study of my craft has led to my finding my own voice, my ability to make things that I find beautiful, and now I want to share that with others.

Additionally, and most importantly to me, I am humbled to represent my tribe, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, among a new generation of talented and innovative indigenous artists. Prior to our clay culture being all but lost during the forced relocation of my ancestors from Mississippi to present day Oklahoma, innumerable generations of Choctaw potters made vessels for utility, for ritual, for the sheer joy of it. Today, only a handful of vessels remain to inform us and to educate us, to bind us to our original homelands. But we, having emerged from the ground, Nanih Waiya, our Mother Mound, have a desire to rekindle our pottery traditions and reimagine them to allow us to tell stories about how it feels to be a modern day Native, understanding that each vessel we make is not only a rebellion against those who attempted to eradicate and colonize our people but also a chance to reconcile and educate those who are willing to listen.