There is something about a legal name as opposed to a nickname that has always intrigued me and felt strangely Southern. At birth, my family decided I would be called Ali like an alley cat but that my birth name would be Alexia. When I thought of what to name my ceramics I could only think of the name that I have rarely been called and repurposing something often forgotten.

Pottery has been a way of reconnecting to something that felt lost within myself. Being born and raised in Chattanooga TN, Appalachian craft has been something I was always surrounded by but never felt a connection to. With parents and grandparents focused on raising children, the breakable and handcrafted items were often hidden away to ensure clumsy hands were far away, but more so practical was prioritized over attractiveness.

In the need for conventional, craft and connection to creating can often be cast aside. My hope for Alexia Ceramics is to embody the Appalachian within by dancing between utility and joy and the transformation that can come from allowing yourself more time for vulnerability, creativity, and play.