🎧 2026 Emerging Artist: CJ Carter, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Ceramics Monthly

The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.

Ceramics Monthly: What do you think is the role of a maker within our current culture, and how do you think you contribute to it? 

CJ Carter: Our need for physical, handmade objects grows as we move further into the digital realm with readily available mass-produced products. The joy and comfort that comes from something handmade is a bridge, connecting us to one another. As artists and makers, we create these objects because we want to engage, share, participate, and create a positive impact. Making facilitates human connection. 

In my work, I provide moments of hope through representation. I depict an array of gender expressions because I did not see folks that looked like me in academia, the media, or museums. I seek to ensure that the bridges we craft connect as many different folks as possible. 

CM: What topics are central to your work and/or research as an artist, and why? 

CJC: In my research, I investigate our cultural expectations of gender and its relationship to power through the integration of architectural details into figurative sculpture. As soon as we began building cities, we used architecture to convey strength, to guide, intimidate, soothe, protect, and to display our influence and power. I use this historical understanding of architecture to represent our differences as individuals, our contradictory nature, and our capacity for being a positive force. 

The parallels between a building and the body are full of opportunity. We go through different gender expressions as we age, like a house under construction. We require care and upkeep, and guard our bodies as we would our settlements. We seek perfection but are hopelessly handbuilt. Humans are not efficient, nor indeed, structurally sound. 

This use of architecture to push beyond gender stereotypes explores what we could be capable of if we allow people to fully embrace to their natural qualities. I want my viewers to reconsider their notions of both power and beauty when they engage with my work. If they see strength that is simultaneously masculine and feminine, impressive yet relatable, delicate yet enduring, then I will have been successful. 

Learn more at www.cjcarterclay.com or follow on Instagram @cjcarterclay. 

May 2026: Table of Contents

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