Biography
Marissa Y Alexander is an artist living and working in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is an Assistant Professor, Division of Craft (Ceramics) at NSCAD University. She builds with clay to make both functional and sculptural ceramic objects. Marissa is interested in the process of inventing form through coil building and establishing alluring surfaces that create patterns and narratives to visually describe her reflections on everyday life and envision the ideal amid contemporary reality. She received her MFA in Ceramic Art from Alfred University (2019) and was previously a full-time Artist-In-Resident at Harbourfront Centre.
Artist Statement
The different streams of my work are united by coil and line. A coil generates form, the form creates edge and silhouette, edge and silhouette frame surface. A gesture as simple as making a line, when performed repeatedly, builds and transforms. I feel free when using coils to establish forms – there are no restrictions, the possibility of where the lines lead to is endless. Through this process, I am able to engage my intuition and as concepts (my thoughts) progress throughout the rhythm of making, I develop families of shapes. The slowness of building one coil at a time invites the potential for the process to be disrupted and flexibility to wander from original ideas. When I am in the studio working with tactile clay, I am able to intimately experience objects and ideas. Material and process are central to my ceramics practice and I aim to make things that engage myself and other people.
More information about Marissa can be found at: marissaya.com
IG @marissaya_