Magdalene Odundo takes coils of clay and builds, sculpts and burnishes them by hand into striking vessels. Widely considered among the first tools created by humans, vessels resonate across time, geographies and cultures. Odundo draws inspiration from diverse sources – including ancient Egyptian and Aztec sculpture, Kenyan and Nigerian burial rites, Greek and Japanese pottery, Elizabethan fashion and European modernism.
Movement and dance have long served as a springboard for the artist. Odundo’s works often evoke the human body, their forms suggesting swelling bellies, swaying torsos and gaping mouths. Created from the life-giving material of the earth, they are reminders of a shared humanity and vitality.
Odundo's influential practice in clay will animate our light-filled Lakeside Gallery.
