What do you make? Tell us a bit about your creative process.
I make functional ceramic items (cups!) that have phrases imprinted into them. I have called them Little Acts of Rebellion, because we can go about Smashing the Patriarchy one cup of tea / coffee at a time. Settling on the 4 phrases I use has been a process of gauging market response and adjusting what I've make. I choose the glazes depending on what colours I like or what glaze making experiments have been successful.
What do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
I like to think that the cups reflect the values / thoughts / activities of the person using them. I think it's good to outwardly reflect what you think and the Little Acts of Rebellion cups help people do this.
How do your ideas about feminism influence your art?
I create almost exclusively through a feminist lens or "thought process" where I am constantly thinking about how I can represent my ideas through different creative processes.
What benefits do you see in being a woman in the creative community?
The benefits are varied, but from a creative perspective, it is easy to use our creativity in the crafts thought of as "women's work" to spread subversive messaging. For example, at first blush we may see a crocheted or knitted artwork, but on closer inspection there can be a deep personal or political message worked into the piece. Women / Non-Binary people are incredibly talented at working messages into 'pleasant' looking art, and this is a great way to help get a contentious message into the main stream.
What do you love most about the festive season?
Wrapping up gifts, giving said gifts, and then reflecting on the year that has been.
This year I will be volunteering on Christmas Day, helping at a community lunch. I am looking forward to this immensely. I did this for the first time last year with my Daughter and we are returning to help the same organisation.
Shop our collection of Jade's work here
