Sonia Kilcoyne

The values of my immigrant family were instilled within me at a very young age and have influenced every corner of my life. The water jugs and grain containers that survived the journey from Italy carry just as much significance: they act as mirrors of my own identity. I noticed the difference between my personal cultural expression and that of other Italian Americans as I grew older. Many times, my identity has been judged and belittled by others because I do not relate to, or express, mainstream identifiers of Italian culture in America. It is as if relatability to masses has become more proof of heritage than ancestry. My work forms from my experiences of this phenomena, questioning our relationship with group-identities and how we view ourselves. In my practice, ancestral craft objects question the meaning of holding and protection. Historically, jugs and containers served practical purposes, but metaphorically they are archival and preservers of memory. When merged with mirrors and glass, the ceramic forms connect to ideas of reflection and examination. A warped reflection looking back from inside a pot, paired with inspecting and studying the imagery within asks how we validate cultural identity markers and how we perceive our own identities.
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Mirror

$65.00


   

Mirror

$65.00


  

Mirror

$65.00


 

Mirror

$65.00




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