Exhibition Reception
Saturday, December 2, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

On view in Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s community-led Craft Garden, Ceramics in the Environment is a plein-air exhibition of site-specific ceramics made over the course of the MFAH’s Glassell School of Art’s Special Topics course.

In this fourth–and largest–iteration of an ongoing exhibition series, 12 featured artists investigate creating artwork for an outdoor environment and responding to the living histories of a site in clay media. The sculptures on view are installed in dialogue with the plants and raw materials cultivated in the Craft Garden and reflect the flora and fauna of the site. Visitors can explore seed pods rendered in monumental scale, a temporal installation that responds to precipitation, an undulating line sculpture that traces the base of a live tree, and works that reflect concerns about a changing climate.

Exhibiting artists: Angela Corson, Jane Greenberg, Claude Habayeb, Johana Hartjen, Una Kirkpatrick, Adriana Lorusso, Linda May Martin, John O’Brien, Nicole O’Bryan, Meghan Rutzebeck, Suzette Schutze, and Marjorie Silverstein.

Ceramics in the Environment was developed in partnership between MFAH’s Glassell School of Art and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft.

Exhibition Reception
Friday, September 29, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
The evening will celebrate the fall exhibitions and feature open studios by current resident artists.

Artist & Curator Tour
Saturday, September 30, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Join Max Adrian, the artist behind RIPSTOP, and the exhibition’s curator, Sarah Darro, for an intimate tour of Adrian’s patchworked, pneumatic sculptures.

Max Adrian: RIPSTOP is a solo exhibition of patchwork textiles and inflatable sculptures by the Ohio-based fiber artist. Adrian’s volumetric, pneumatic work transports viewers into a realm of artifice, desire, and worldbuilding. Drawing from rich legacies of queer fiber art and theory, including the AIDS memorial quilt and José Esteban Muñoz’s foundational text, Cruising Utopia, the exhibition features monumentally scaled works that physically respond to the presence of viewers by filling with air. “The sculptures’ constant state of performing, or becoming, reflects Adrian’s interests in queerness as an inherently utopian and future-oriented mode of being,” says Sarah Darro, Curator and Exhibitions Director at HCCC.

RIPSTOP features sculptures made from patchwork faux fur, satin, pleather, fringe, and ripstop—the show’s namesake—a woven nylon material that allows the pieces to inflate and hold air. Adrian’s use of alluring, sensual fabrics reflects the material culture of queer and kink communities, while the handwrought textile techniques and inflatable technology he employs are drawn from his background working in a commercial mascot shop. Though many of his works are built from the scraps of those high-profile commercial characters, they—unlike mascots—interrogate consumption and capitalist desire. Informed by the aesthetics of drag, puppetry, and camp horror films, works like The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines (2017-2019) become subversive, representing violence, repression, and the hyperstimulation of late capitalism.

While in isolation during COVID-19, Adrian’s work shifted to an investigation of desire and queerness at an infrastructural scale. His modernist bounce-house sculpture, A Fallible Complex (2021), continues the entangled history of inflatable architecture and utopian experimentation that sprang forth in the late 1960s through collectives like Ant Farm and Utopie. This monumental piece defies the expectations of a space designed for play and pleasure. It’s alluring but its entrance is blocked. While its many portholes invite spectatorship and voyeurism, if one were to attempt to enter the colorful maze of interlocking levels, they would be met with a missing floor. The structure is promising but ultimately unstable. RIPSTOP suggests that the world Adrian desires, like queer utopia itself, is not here quite yet. It is on the horizon.

RIPSTOP is curated by HCCC Curator and Exhibitions Director, Sarah Darro.

About Max Adrian

Max Adrian (he/they) is a textile artist interested in ideas about queerness, desire, and consumerism. His soft-sculptural practice finds inspiration in a variety of sewing-related crafts like quilting, bag making, inflatables, puppetry, drag, and fetish wear. Adrian employs an evocative aesthetic of bold colors and tactile materials that tease expectations of pleasure. His work envisions a postmodern playscape, where bodies and objects are blurred, asking how the things humans desire impact a sense of personal identity and community building.

Adrian holds a BFA in fiber and creative writing from the Kansas City Art Institute, as well as an MFA in fiber and material studies from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture. He has worked professionally as a puppeteer, a mascot costume stitcher, and a production artist at Otherworld, an immersive art experience. Adrian was a 2022 Career Advancement Fellow and a 2015 Windgate Fellow with the Center for Craft. His practice has been supported by a variety of residencies including Vermont Studio Center, Lighthouse Works, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Millay Arts. He is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Image credits:

1. Max Adrian, “A Fallible Complex,” 2021. Nylon ripstop, blower, motion sensor. 92 x 136 x 76 inches. Photo by Jake Holler.
2. Max Adrian, “A Fallible Complex (Detail),” 2021. Nylon ripstop, blower, motion sensor. 92 x 136 x 76 inches. Photo by Jake Holler.
3. Max Adrian, “The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines,” 2017-2019. Faux fur, pleather, chains, velour, fringe, glitter, bells, hardware, blowers, timers. Photo by Max Adrian.
4. Max Adrian, “Constellation Quilt (Eccentric Stars),” 2021. Pleather, athletic mesh, grommets, chain, hardware. 36 x 36 inches. Photo by Max Adrian.
5. Max Adrian, “Threshold for the Cyber Citizen (Daytime Mode),” 2022. Nylon ripstop, fans, LED lights, selfie light, iPhone 5s, video, extension cords, power strip. Photo by Jake Holler.
6. Max Adrian, Installation view of “Threshold” and “Leather Baby” in the exhibition Playscape at Skylab Gallery in Columbus, OH, 2022. Photo by Jake Holler.
7. Max Adrian, “The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines,” 2017-2019. Faux fur, pleather, chains, velour, fringe, glitter, bells, hardware, blowers, timers. Photo by Max Adrian.
8. Max Adrian, “Leather Baby,” 2021. Pleather, leather, grommets, hardware, chain. 14 x 14 x 22 inches. Photo by Max Adrian.
9. Max Adrian, “Queer Quilt with Asymmetrical Accessory,” 2019. Pleather, athletic mesh, chains, yarn, grommets, hardware, hooks. 28 x 18 inches. Photo by Max Adrian.
10. Max Adrian, “The Sensational Inflatable Furry Divines,” 2017-2019. Faux fur, pleather, chains, velour, fringe, glitter, bells, hardware, blowers, timers. Photo by Max Adrian.

Fall Exhibitions Reception
Friday, September 29, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
The evening will celebrate the fall exhibitions and feature open studios by the current resident artists.

Local Lens: Jamal Cyrus on Tree of Life
Saturday, October 28, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Local artist Jamal Cyrus and HCCC Curatorial Fellow Cydney Pickens discuss the exhibition.

Tree of Life Concert
Thursday, November 9, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
HCCC and DACAMERA present a chamber music concert inspired by the exhibition.

Tree of Life showcases sculptural objects made from the African blackwood tree, also known as mpingo or Dalbergia melanoxylon. Native to Tanzania and the territory surrounding Mt. Kilimanjaro, this tree has a naturally dark, nearly black, colored core and other unique properties that make it a preferred choice of material for ornamental turning, carving, and use in woodwind instruments. This exhibition features figural sculptures carved in the Makonde tradition by Tanzania-based artists, Joseph Singombe and Pius Mtembe; ornamental turning by the late Texas-based artist James Harris; and woodwind instruments that explore the different methods artists are using when approaching this material.

Mpingo, a swahili term referring to the blackwood tree, is a culturally significant species for the Makonde people in East Africa. A popular style of Makonde sculpture is called ujamaa, which speaks to the interconnectedness of each individual with a larger economy and social network. These sculptures are carved from a single piece of wood and depict a tower of interdependent figures relying on one another for stability and strength. This metaphor for community can be applied to other craftspeople working in this medium. The planting, cultivation, harvest, transport, drying, and subsequent carving of African blackwood are all collective efforts, wherein each role is equally important to the process. Tree of Life focuses not only on the skill of these makers, but the conservation, preservation, and scholarship that keeps the tree, and the craft practices surrounding it, alive.

Tree of Life was curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, Cydney Pickens.

Image credits:

1. James Harris, “Lidded Hollow Vessel, No. 4 (LHV04),” 2005. Maple Burl, African Blackwood, Holly, Bloodwood, bamboo, mother-of-pearl, gold filled bead. 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.75 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.
2. James Harris, “Wave Series Box, No. 19,” 2007. African Blackwood with acrylic, colored plastic laminate veneers, mother-of-pearl cabochon. 1.625 x 1.625 x 2.5 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.
3. James Harris, “Wave Series Box, No. 18,” 2007. African Blackwood with acrylic, colored plastic laminate veneers, yellow quartzite. 1.825 x 1.825 x 2.625 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.
4. James Harris, “Perfume Atomizer, No. 3 (PA03),” 2008. Ebony, African Blackwood, Amboyna burl, turquoise cabochon. 2.75 x 1.25 x 3.75 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.
5. James Harris, “Clock Tower, No. 4.” African Blackwood, mother-of-pearl, brass inlay. 3.5 x 3.5 x 10.25 inches. Photo by James Harris. Photo courtesy of Bette Harris.

The Artist Residency Program at HCCC provides local, regional, and international artists with a space for creative exploration, exchange, and collaboration with other artists, arts professionals, and the public. HCCC Curatorial Fellow Cydney Pickens notes, “The resident artist experience is often characterized by the finished artwork. Uniquely, this exhibition will include photos, mementos, clippings, and sketches from each resident’s studio to illustrate the nonlinear nature of creative production and show some of the fun and silly moments from this past year.”

In Residence: 16th Edition was curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, Cydney Pickens. More information about the Artist Residency Program can be found here.

Hispanohablantes: los materiales de las exposiciónes están traducidos al español en las galerías.

Summer Exhibitions Reception
Friday, June 2, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The public is invited to celebrate the opening of the summer exhibitions at HCCC.
The evening will also feature refreshments and open studios by the newest resident artists.

Artist & Curator Tour of “Hot House”
Saturday, June 3, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Join Layla Klinger and Curatorial Fellow Cydney Pickens for a tour of the exhibition, and explore the concepts behind the works and recurring themes in Klinger’s artistic practice.

Layla Klinger: Hot House features contemporary lace creations and larger-than-life electroluminescent installations by the Brooklyn-based fiber artist, Layla Klinger. Born in Tel Aviv, Klinger (they/them) works with fiber, light and electric currents to investigate intimacy, erotic compulsions, and beauty as merit.

Using electroluminescent wire and playing with code, Klinger creates large-scale, light-emitting, bobbin lace installations, which generate incredible variations in light patterns. The works are displayed in dark rooms, and Klinger says the holes in the lace become defined not by the physical reality of the wires but by the light. “Through activating different light configurations, the holes become unstable: splitting, expanding, appearing, and disappearing.”

Klinger’s Jewish heritage and upbringing also play an integral role in their artistic practice and content. Hands are a recurring motif in their work, as they are representative of labor, hand craftsmanship, and physical-erotic  connection. This exhibition marks Klinger’s first major solo exhibition in the United States and includes small, handmade bobbins for lace making, as well as their vibrant, interactive light installations.

Hot House is curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, Cydney Pickens.

About Layla Klinger
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Layla Klinger (they/them) is an artist and designer, working with textiles, new media, and installation. Klinger took up crocheting at 19 and ever since has dedicated their life to working with textiles and fibers. Their work and approach are rooted in queerness, both conceptually and as a practical guideline to making. Klinger’s artistic practice focuses on conserving traditional lace-making through new materials and queer narratives, creating erotic tension, and employing seduction as a strategy for craft conservation.

Klinger is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and the Textile Design department of Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, specializing in knit. They spent a semester studying at The Swedish School of Textiles in Borås, Sweden, and they were an intern in a bespoke embroidery studio in London. They have exhibited their work in shows and festivals in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Tel Aviv. Klinger is currently living in New York, teaching textile and fashion studio practices at Parsons School of Design.

Image credits:

1. Layla Klinger, “Infinite Pollination (Rose 01),” 2022. Mixed media. 6x6x2 feet. Photo by Taylor Kallio.
2. Layla Klinger, “Infinite Pollination (Rose 01),” 2022. Mixed media. 6x6x2 feet. Photo by Taylor Kallio.
3. Layla Klinger, “Tavin,” 2021. Cotton, polyester on linen. Counted embroidery. 11×14 inches. Photo by Elisheva Gavra.
4. Layla Klinger, “Mevorekhet,” 2022. Undyed peace silk and time. 13×13 inches. Photo by the artist.
5. Layla Klinger, “Still, Missing You (1559),” 2021. Electroluminescent wire, silver coated thread, operating boards, power inverters, wrapping wire, human bodies. 12x10x3 feet. Photo by Shahrez Syed.
6. Layla Klinger, “Still, Missing You (1559),” 2021. Electroluminescent wire, silver coated thread, operating boards, power inverters, wrapping wire, human bodies. 12x10x3 feet. Photo by Shahrez Syed.
7. Layla Klinger, “Era,” 2020. Cotton, viscose, polyester on linen. Counted embroidery. 20×26.8 inches. Photo by Elisheva Gavra.
8. Layla Klinger, “Lace Hand 03,” 2021. Cotton. Photo by the artist.
9. Layla Klinger, “Krysia,” 2023. Undyed peace silk. 7×6.5 inches. Photo by the artist.
10. Layla Klinger, “Infinite Pollination (Rose 01),” 2022. Mixed media. 6x6x2 feet. Photo by Taylor Kallio.
11. Layla Klinger, “Infinite Pollination (Rose 01),” 2022. Mixed media. 6x6x2 feet. Photo by Taylor Kallio.

Summer Exhibitions Reception
Friday, June 2, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The public is invited to celebrate the opening of the summer exhibitions at HCCC.
The evening will also feature refreshments and open studios by the newest resident artists.

Artist & Curator Tour of “The Land of Flowers”
Saturday, July 8, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Join Gabo Martinez and the exhibition’s curator, María-Elisa Heg, for an intimate walkthrough of this new body of work in ceramic and print.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to present Gabo Martinez: The Land of Flowers, an exhibition of ceramics and printmaking named for the mythical, flower-filled paradise, known in Nahuatl as xochitlalpan. Influenced by her upbringing in Guanajuato, Mexico, and Texas, Martinez’s vibrant work centers a reclamation of indigenous identity through craft production, using materials and motifs with ties to prehispanic cultures. Her vividly glazed terracotta vessels and large-scale prints are inscribed with motifs like the flower, a deeply significant symbol in the poetic tradition of Nahuatl speakers, known as In xochitl In cuicatl (Flower and Song).

Sweepingly lyrical and filled with metaphor, many surviving examples of the prehispanic oral tradition of Aztec performance—so-called Flower Songs—open with a ritual evocation of the divine. By calling the physicality of a mystical realm like the land of flowers into being, performers of Flower Songs invite audiences into spaces of yearning, hope, and even bliss. With its body of highly graphic prints and sgraffito pottery, this exhibition connects Martinez’s work to the tradition of Flower Songs—subversive in its ability to survive and transmit indigeneity, despite centuries of colonial domination and erasure.  By transforming the Front Gallery at HCCC into a space vibrating with color and possibility, The Land of Flowers richly evokes the artist’s vision of a present and future defined by community, joy, and self-determination.

The Land of Flowers is curated by Maria-Elisa Heg.

About Gabo Martinez

Based in San Marcos, Texas, Gabo Martinez is an interdisciplinary artist who was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. Drawing on traditional and contemporary motifs, Martinez utilizes those visual languages to craft a narrative that reclaims and honors her own heritage. She combines the mediums of printmaking and ceramics to create spaces that evoke the warmth of brown bodies with rich vibrant colors. These spaces become vehicles for the reclamation of an historical clay body, known as barro rojo, in the contemporary moment, elevating ancestral ceramic technologies. Barro rojo lends its softness and malleability to objects that can further immortalize cultures and narratives.

Martinez holds a BFA in studio arts with a concentration in ceramics from Texas State University at San Marcos. She is a founder of the Tepeyac Collective, a group that aims to organize and highlight BIPOC clay artists in Central Texas as a response to the lack of diversity and harmful gatekeeping within the present-day clay community. Martinez has completed residencies at the Sonoma Community Center, in California, and at Texas A&M University, in Laredo, Texas. She has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, as well as the Glasstire “4×4” series.

Image credits:

1. Gabo Martinez holding “Twelve Eyes Platter” (inside view), 2023. Terracotta, slip, and sgraffito. 3.5 x 14.25 inches. Background: “Yellow Bloom Print,” 2021. Relief on mulberry paper. 38 x 84 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
2. Gabo Martinez holding “Twelve Eyes Platter” (side view), 2023. Terracotta, slip, and sgraffito. 3.5 x 14.25 inches. Background: “Yellow Bloom Print,” 2021. Relief on mulberry paper. 38 x 84 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
3. Gabo Martinez holding “Twelve Eyes Platter” (bottom view), 2023. Terracotta, slip, and sgraffito. 3.5 x 14.25 inches. Background: “Yellow Bloom Print,” 2021. Relief on mulberry paper. 38 x 84 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
4. Gabo Martinez holding “Yellow Checkered Pattern” (bottom view), 2023. Terracotta, slip, and sgraffito. 3.25 x 14 inches. Background: “Yellow Bloom Print,” 2021. Relief on mulberry paper. 38 x 84 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Winter/Spring Exhibitions Reception
Friday, February 17, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The public is invited to celebrate the opening of the winter exhibitions at HCCC.

Tour of “Tg: Transitions in Kiln-Glass”
Saturday, April 29, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Join HCCC Curator + Exhibitions Director Sarah Darro on a journey of glass discovery!

HCCC is pleased to present Tg: Transitions in Kiln-Glass, a biennial exhibition organized by Bullseye Projects that features the best of contemporary kiln-glass design, architecture, and art. The juried competition and resulting exhibition reflects the expansion and evolution of the kiln-glass medium and its community. While still encouraging emerging talent, the parameters for this year’s exhibition have been widened to include a broader range of artists and to acknowledge the expansion of kiln-glass into the architectural and design fields.

In contrast to glassblowing, which uses a pipe to inflate and shape molten glass, kilnforming uses a kiln to bind and shape layers or particles of glass, known as frit. Tg refers to the temperature at which glass transitions from behaving like a solid to behaving like a liquid. This metamorphosis embodies the ethos of kiln-glass:  the transformation that occurs when glass softens and yields to the fierce heat of the kiln.

Tg: Transitions in Kiln-Glass offers viewers an opportunity to explore the aesthetic choices, conceptual frameworks, and technical innovations of contemporary kiln-glass by artists from the U.S. and abroad.

Tg: Transitions in Kiln-Glass Award Winners

Gold Award: Saman Kalantari, A little bit of everything
Silver Award: Anthony Amoako-Attah, Puberty
Bronze Award: Helen Slater Stokes, In the Pink
Architectural Award, First Place: Cable Griffith, Siler’s Mill (Redmond Watershed)
Architectural Award, Second Place: Te Rongo Kirkwood, Eunoia
Design Award, First Place: Te Rongo Kirkwood, Meremere(venus-evening star)
Design Award, Second Place: Celia Dowson, Rhossili Mist Centerpiece in Indigo and Clear
Academic Award, First Place: Wai Yan Choi, Praemonitus Series
Academic Award, Second Place: Anthony Amoako-Attah, Puberty
Emerging Artist Award, First Place: Abegael Uffelman, Moon, Hyun Kyung
Emerging Artist Award, Second Place: Lara Saget, Joshua Tree Insides, Joshua Tree Inside, Joshua Tree Rocks Match

About Bullseye Projects

Bullseye Projects is part of Bullseye Glass Company, a manufacturer of colored glass for art and architecture based in Portland, Oregon, with worldwide distribution and a strong commitment to research, education, and the promotion of glass art. More info can be found at www.bullseyeprojects.com.

Image credits:

1. Wai Yan Choi, “Praemonitus Series,” 2021. Kilnformed glass, metal inclusions. 12 x 38.5 x 4 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
2. Saman Kalantari, “A little bit of everything,” 2021. Kiln-formed glass, wire, MDF, ribbon. 55 x 70 x 70 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
3. Ana Laura Quintana, “Aquamarine Sea Vessels,” 2020. Glass powder, liquid gold. 4.5 x 11 x 8.5 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
4. Bruno Romanelli, “Procyon,” 2021. Cast glass. 5 x 10 x 10 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
5. Karola Dischinger, “Seven Skins,” 2020. Kilnformed glass. 3 x 9.5 x 10 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
6. Te Rongo Kirkwood, “Meremere (venus – evening star),” 2021. Kilnformed glass, dyed flax fibre, silk cord. 31.5 x 41.5 x 1 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
7. Abegael Uffelman, “Moon, Hyun Kyung,” 2019. Pâte de verre, printer ink transfer. 12 x 50 x 1 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
8. Celia Dowson, “Rhossili Mist Centerpiece in Indigo and Clear,” 2019-2021. Kilncast glass. 4 x 18 x 18 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
9. Te Rongo Kirkwood, “Eunoia,” 2020. Fused and coldworked glass, cord, steel. 119 x 27.5 x 27.5 inches. Photo by Jennifer French.
10. David Hendren, “Two Amplifiers (After the Show),” 2021. Kiln-formed glass, wood frame.21.5 x 18 x 1.25 inches (framed). Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
11. Anthony Amoako-Attah, “Puberty,” 2020. Screenprinted and kilnformed glass. 35.5 x 19.75 x 0.25 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
12. Hyesook Choi, “A relic of the early 21st century – relic high heels,” 2019. Kilnformed glass. 6 x 9.5 x 4 inches. Photo by myoung studio.
13. Bonnie Huang, “西遊記 (Journey to the west),” 2021. Kilnformed and engraved glass. 8 x 8 x 8 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
14. Helen Slater Stokes, “In the Pink,” 2019. Kilnformed glass, digital ceramic transfer. 16.5 x 16.5 x 2.5 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
15. Cable Griffith, “Siler’s Mill (Redmond Watershed),” 2021. Rendering of a glass mosaic
    (currently being fabricated by Tieton Mosaic). 72 x 144 inches. Rendering courtesy of the artist.
16. Evan Burnette, “Pink Dichroic Glitter Chicken,” 2020. Fused and cast glass, dichroic extract, silver mirror, aluminum gilding, hxtal, titanium oxide. 17 x 13 x 3.75 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
17. Lara Saget, “Joshua Tree Rocks Match,” 2021. Kilnformed glass. 2.5 x 8 x 5.5 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
18. Wai Yan Choi, “Praemonitus Series” (detail), 2021. Kilnformed glass, metal inclusions. 12 x 38.5 x 4 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.
19. Te Rongo Kirkwood, detail of “Eunoia,” 2020. Fused and coldworked glass, cord, steel. 119 x 27.5 x 27.5 inches. Photo by Jennifer French.
20. Te Rongo Kirkwood, “Meremere (venus – evening star),” 2021. Kilnformed glass, dyed flax fibre, silk cord. 31.5 x 41.5 x 1 inches. Photo by Hanmi Meyer.

Artist & Curator Tour of “Philippine-Made”
Saturday, February 11, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Join Matt Manalo and the exhibition’s curator, Kathryn Hall, for an intimate walkthrough of this autobiographical body of work.

Winter/Spring Exhibitions Reception
Friday, February 17, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The public is invited to celebrate the opening of the winter/spring exhibitions at HCCC. The evening will also feature refreshments and open studios by the newest resident artists.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft presents Philippine-Made: The Work of Matt Manalo, an exhibition of self-reflective sculptures made from air-dry clay, bamboo, and plant materials with cultural ties to Matt Manalo’s home country of the Philippines. Born in Manila, Manalo has spent half his life in America, an experience that has served as a pivotal point of inflection for the artist. The exhibition encapsulates his time living in the United States after immigrating with his family to Houston.

Manalo’s practice gives visibility to the Filipinx community and undermines the deep-seated racism and colonialism that has persisted following America’s occupation of the country. He uses his art to strengthen relationships, inviting friends and family to share a part of themselves through their donations of materials and handmade souvenirs from the Philippines. By incorporating these objects into his work, Manalo recognizes the country’s invisible labor force and acknowledges its indigenous histories. The stories of these groups then become a part of his own story, providing him with opportunities to rectify the past and collectively supplant the mentality imposed by colonialism through his artwork. Taking inspiration from Filipinx craft traditions like weaving, embroidery, and woodcarving—along with his formative childhood years in Manila—Manalo demonstrates how the knowledge of one’s own history can serve as a path to liberation.

Philippine-Made: The Work of Matt Manalo is guest curated by Kathryn Hall.

About Matt Manalo

Based in Houston, TX, Matt Manalo is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in Manila, Philippines. Incorporating raw materials and found objects, his environmentally conscious work tackles ideas surrounding his self-identification as an immigrant, along with his feelings of displacement and how the concept of home is defined. In his artistic practice, he addresses the physical and social structures of the Philippines and the United States, as well as the effects of colonization, including the erasure of histories and the presence of colorism.

Manalo holds a BFA in painting with a minor in art history from the University of Houston. He is the founder of Filipinx Artists of Houston, a collective of Filipinx visual, performing, literary, culinary, and multidisciplinary artists. He is also the founder of Alief Art House, a hub for creativity that highlights the cultural richness of the multiple communities of the Alief neighborhood in Houston. This alternative art space was made possible by DiverseWorks’ Project Freeway Fellowship. Manalo has received several other residencies, fellowships, and grants. Most recently, in 2022, he was awarded the Houston Inspira Storytellers Grant through the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. He was also selected as a featured artist as part of Asia Society of Texas’ Artists on Site series. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including the Blaffer Art Museum (Houston, Texas)’s group exhibition, Carriers: The Body as a Site of Danger and Desire (2021), curated by Tyler Blackwell and Steven Matijcio, and the 2021 Texas Biennial: A New Landscape, A Possible Horizon, curated by Evan Garza and Ryan Dennis.

Image credits:

1. Left: Matt Manalo, Found sculpture, date unknown. Wood. 6.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches.
   Right: Matt Manalo, “38,” 2022. Air-dry clay. 5.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 inches. Photo by the artist.
2. Matt Manalo, “No Partaking,” 2019. Embroidery on handmade vintage placemat from the Philippines. 10 x 64 inches. Photo by the artist.