SBP x Pride: Amelia Holt

As a ceramicist, Amelia Holt creates beautiful sculptures entangling bodily forms with motifs from the natural world like animal skulls and botanicals. Through sculpting and glazing, everyday objects like vessels and platters become sites for fluid expression and experimentation of form, pushing at the boundaries of clay’s inherent pliability. 

Their portfolio, informed by a background in theater, drawing, and painting, is comprised of interplays with depths of surfaces. From mixed media sculptures to figurative illustrations bursting with texture color, Amelia defies our expectations of bodily images, mutating skin, muscle, and bone through their gorgeously grotesque style. 

To keep up with Amelia’s latest creations, you can follow them on Instagram and Facebook. You can also check out their website to see more of their sculptures and their previous exhibitions.    

Your sketchbook, “The Burden of Agency,” takes us from page to page through these spreads of flowing movement through line and color. Can you speak about what inspired you to create this book and your process in creating these illustrations?

I created this sketchbook because I wanted to work on imagery that I have been tweaking and evolving. Whether that be in paintings or on pottery or turned into sculptures. There is symbology in my work that means specific things, such as the twisted and stretched parts of the body that deals with anxiety. They are usually placed where the neck or the stomach would be, because with panic attacks it can be hard to breath or there is just a tightening pain, and then where the knees would be, because anxiety can make you feel frozen or weak in the knees. I wanted to share the body dysmorphia that I feel with the depiction of floppy, heavy bodies that also might be weightless.

The forms you present in your sketchbook come alive in your ceramic practice. How did you come to ceramics as your primary medium of choice? 

It actually happened when I returned to college. For about 13 years, I worked in the theatre industry as a scenic artist. I painted all the backgrounds, floors, faux finishing in various theaters. I’ve always painted for most of my life, I never thought I would enjoy working in a medium that is 3D.

When I went to college, I went originally to continue my education in painting and drawing, but we had to take a class outside our preferred medium. I chose ceramics. I had a rough time moving forward in painting and drawing. I was told that my work was too flat and illustrative. I never really got any encouragement to continue painting and drawing, especially with the content that I wanted to create. When I applied my imagery to my ceramics it ended up becoming much more than what it originally was. I had these twisting, writhing figures on something domestic. Empty vessels that wouldn’t normally have imagery that might be considered grotesque or hard to look at decorated them. My professors encouraged me to keep going and pushing the message that I wanted to create.

Do you keep a sketchbook? 

I do keep a sketchbook. I’m one of those artists that have many in limbo, I’m trying to get better about filling them completely up. I do also have different ones for specific things, like working out specific problem areas I am having and creating imagery that I would like to put on my ceramics. I have a couple now specifically for imagery that I want to convey in ceramic form. I’m getting a little rusty on certain aspects of the body, so I’ve also been meaning to create a sketchbook entirely for working on that.

Bodies, in these fluid, dynamic shapes, are a recurring image across your portfolio. Were you always drawn to this corporeal subject matter? How has your relationship to these forms changed over time in relationship to your own identity?

I have always been drawn to human bodies. There isn’t a time that I can think of when I wasn’t drawing or analyzing individuals' forms as they walked by. I would ride the bus a lot and do a lot of people-watching. Also in the theatre, I was able to watch a lot of people move and dance.

Even being a part of the backstage area, I was able to analyze the physicality of my work and watch my coworkers’ bodies move large set pieces or pull up equipment via ropes. I took many figure drawing classes and, as I drew the figure as it was, I was curious about what the limits of stretching the human body would do. I learned muscle groups and the way the skeleton would move. That is when I started to draw my bodies into more exaggerated forms.

You recently graduated from Sacramento State University. What’s next for your creative practice? Are there any projects you’re working on now or experiments in ceramic-making techniques you want to explore? 

Truth be told, I'm really trying to figure out what my next step is. My partner and I recently moved to an area where working with ceramics isn’t necessarily easy unless you have your own kiln. However, I recently joined a group that has a Quarantine Clay Club, so I have been able to make a handful of new pieces. Mostly utilitarian pieces, such as tumblers or cups. I have made some doll heads, as I have been a bit curious about making dolls and enjoy mixed media.

When did you first begin making art?

I first started making art when I was really young. My parents and family have always supported me being in the art field and I always remember having access to artistic mediums. I was always in an art class in school or outside of school. I also remember getting in trouble constantly for doodling in class.

Who are some of your queer creative heroes?

I’m still on the quest of finding more queer ceramicists that inspire and push me but here are a few that have done that: Jessica Sallay-Carrington is a Canadian artist who creates work analyzing society through the lens of a queer/non-binary person, Mac McCusker is a trans artist who creates political pottery and sculptures, and Shaun Peter Mallonga creates pottery that depicts exaggerated human bodies that are reflected in the forms of the pottery he creates.

What does Pride mean to you? 

Pride is a specific time that I am not afraid to be myself around others. It is where I can be in a group of diverse individuals and yet still feel safe because they are like minded. I’m still very weary of this body and it is the one time where I don’t have to fear judgement for my weight or body hair. 

What are some important issues you think we should be aware of in the global LGBTQ+ community? 

With what is going on in the world right now, some really important issues are trans rights. We can not allow the erasure of trans people. I can’t believe that some people still hold this stigma over trans individuals and have the audacity to deny basic human rights and necessities like healthcare.

Do you have any advice for anyone struggling with coming out, or with their identity? 

I, personally, am still struggling with my own identity. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and body dysmorphia, so know that my advice isn’t from someone who has it all figured out.

The advice I can give is…know that it isn’t always going to be easy. There will be opposition and you’ll probably lose people along the way, but know that it gets better. You will find your group that will lift you up and support you. Know that whatever is authentically you is not wrong or unnatural. You are unique and irreplaceable. You are a key piece in the future of this world when it comes to acceptance.

We’re in a very difficult moment now, politically, health-wise. Can you speak about how you have used art to cope with tough times? Do you have any advice for those struggling to stay creative right now? 

I do think honesty is best, personally hearing that someone else is struggling as much as I am helped me…so I hope this helps anyone that might read this. In this difficult moment where the world is in such turmoil, I am struggling to create. There are times when I just shut down, however creating little works or even making slow movements in my works, helps me feel a little more grounded and a part of what is going on. 

In order to help myself work out problems in my work and stay connected to other artists, I have also been art pen-palling with a handful of different artists. We mail a sketchbook back and forth and have even started doing some small collaborations that are able to be mailed between us. I’m a physical person so having that physicality of a sketchbook or project has really been helping me stay connected. For advice, if you are struggling, doing something like that where you might be creating something for someone else or the fact it kind of forces a deadline might be a big help. 

How can people support your work? Are there any organizations you would like others to support as well? 

People can support my work by purchasing pieces by direct messaging me through my social media or emailing me—or even just sharing my work. I know that my imagery isn’t everyone's cup of tea and I still struggle with the fact that it is definitely not accepted everywhere, but I hope that people can respect the need for its creation.