Philadelphia-based ceramicist Angela Humes is Featured Artist for VisArts’ 59th Craft+ Design Show

There is no white space on the walls of Angela Humes’ studio apartment in Philadelphia. Her drawings, paintings and photographs prevent dust from collecting on the walls from her work with ceramics. But a perpetual film of dust settles on her furniture and floors. “I love creating art in all forms,” she says.  

The 34 year-old Palestinian-American is the Featured Artist for the Visual Art Center’s 69th Craft + Design Show, Nov. 17-19 at Main Street Station in Richmond, Va. Her work in ceramics, inspired by the style and design she saw expressed in the homes of her relatives as she grew up, will be featured. Humes’ preference for creating black and white vessels and other ceramic pieces comes from her love of photography. 

“I went to Pratt Institute to major in photography because my dad used to be a photographer,” she says. “I fell in love with the analog process, but everything went digital, so I focused on my love of black and white.” 

Humes said her parents were always encouraging of her pursuit in the arts, taking her to art galleries, shows and festivals from an early age. She says herwork is meditative and each piece requires a lot of time. “I have no plan when I get started,” she says.”I feel like I absorbed certain motifs in my childhood from what I saw in the homes of relatives, but I don’t ever look to mimic what I’ve seen.”  

The intricate patterns she makes are created free-hand, instead of using stencils, and her process uses the Sgraffito technique – a process of cutting away parts of the surface layer of a piece to expose a different colored ground. Humes says she incorporates little pieces of gold in the finish to complete her pieces.  

Angela Humes’ work has been featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show. You can see examples of her work by following her on Instagram (@ahumesceramics). This will be her first year at Craft + Design and you can find her work at Booth 501.   

 

 

Craft + Design is a contemporary craft show produced by the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Now in its 59th year, Craft + Design has garnered a national reputation for showcasing the finest in museum-quality craft. Locally, it’s become the event that kicks off Richmond’s holiday shopping season. Shoppers spend the weekend browsing the works of over 150 artists from all over the country. Awards are presented in ceramics, precious metals, glass, wood and recycled materials, contemporary design, innovative use of traditional craft materials, and fiber.