Poema a Distancia
Jose Arenivar-Gomez
Glazed ceramic
Art Dimensions: 6" x 6" x 4"
Exhibition - Iowa Clay Conference | River 2 River
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Artist Statement
My work is an allegory of self-acceptance. I hand-build rabbit-like creatures; I normally add long phallic necks and/or a second pair of ears to highlight openness. I use the rabbit as a symbol of the strength that can come from embracing our vulnerability. My ceramic sculptures invite me to reflect upon what I have experienced as a gay Mexican ceramic artist; explorations of sexuality, desire, suicide, alienation, depression and compassion. I choose to work with clay because of the direct connections with the actions of touching and transforming.
Artist Biography
Jose Arenivar-Gomez is a Mexican ceramics artist and educator based in Metro Detroit. He was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico and immigrated with his family to the Las Cruces, NM in 2007 so that he could pursue higher education at New Mexico State University. Jose received his BFA in Drawing and Ceramics at NMSU in 2015 and his MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2018. His work has been shown nationally in venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, David Salkin Creative and Cranbrook Art Museum.
