Today on Clay in Color we chat with Emily Yong Beck. She creates hand-built vessels based on historical ceramics and sculptures of popular cartoons. In our interview we talk about the fallacy of the Rococo as the pinnacle of sophistication and how porcelain’s charged history is often ignored. We also discuss the cuteness of Japanese Kawaii as a tool of propaganda and experiencing cartoons as an adult with a critical lens. Furthermore, she tells us about moving past her painting phase and committing to ceramics.

Join curator Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and ceramic artist Alex Anderson as they discuss the aesthetics of optimism in contemporary ceramics. Humor, cuteness, and the decorative will be jumping off points for conversations with young professionals of color who are shaping the field today.