Abbey Peters

My research resides in the inherited secrets buried within a home – whispers of stories and old wives’ tales passed down from previous generations of women to protect those forthcoming. In activating secrecy as a tool for survival, I am offering an alternative means toward resolve in a world that historically denies women in sharing their stories. Accompanied with lore inherited from relatives, I study domestic practices like gardening, homemaking, and caretaking to inform the concepts; and pull from the imagery of decorative arts, English gardens, and apothecaries to inform the visuals. These areas, often dismissed as “women’s work” hold deep, generational roots in my family with stories of resilience dating back through early modern Europe. In considering the history of these practices – forming the basis of survival through comfort, care, and nourishment – I’m curious about the threads of oppression that necessitate a veil of secrecy and whispers amongst women. Working in ceramic and natural materials, I create vessels that act as physical storage of inherited stories, secrets, and solutions for future generations, while camouflaging the objects behind a shroud of floral patterning or amongst soil and flourishing leaves to hide in plain sight. My investigation for this work lies in domestic objects with inherent secretive qualities: arsenic-dyed wallpaper, apothecary gardens, and storage-oriented furniture. Through the physical act of burying, covering, and hiding as a form of resistance, I work with the stories of these historic items and use contemporary visuals to craft objects for future generations to discover and investigate.
< Shop More Artists < Main Shop


The Filters you have chosen do not return any results. Please modify your filter selection.

Did you Know?

50% of your purchase directly supports the artist, and 50% of your purchase supports the operations of The Clay Studio, a nonprofit that serves 35,000 people, including 2,000 underserved school children, each year.

Learn More about supporting us

Can We Help?

Feel free to contact us Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Naimah Stith, Retail Manager and Gallery Coordinator
naimah@theclaystudio.org | 215-925-3453 x115


Customer service