Oami Powers is an American artist whose expressive, gestural ceramic sculptures and drawings delve into themes of memory, nostalgia, grief, addiction, understanding of home and self. Raised in California and New Zealand, she has now lived in North Carolina for over a decade. Powers graduated from the University of Canterbury with a B.A. in Art History and Classical Studies and has studied with Cristina Cordova, Zoe Durfour and Alia El-Bermani. Her work has been in juried exhibitions nationwide, and was recently acquired by Duke Energy.
“I am an artist who makes drawings, ceramic sculptures and installations. My creative path has led from painting and sculpture to textile and clothing design, to product design and prototyping and back to sculpture and drawing. I started working in clay in 2020 during lockdown, and was instantly hooked. I’m entranced by its responsiveness, how it conforms to the touch and holds movement that once fired in the kiln becomes static. Like drawing, the other cornerstone of my practice, this ancient and humble medium can be accomplished with just three elements: my hands, mud and fire. Inspired by personal history and a lifelong love for myths and folklore, I use gesture and expression to evoke the intimacy and complexity of the human experience.”
