My practice is focused on ceramic objects that are inspired by Pre-Columbian cultures and modern infrastructure. I am interested in challenging the viewer through manipulating materials such as clay to create a new understanding of form and surface. Interrogating what it means to live with an object, I transform sculptural forms into functional pieces with an emphasis on geometry, symmetry and balance. We unconsciously curate what to acknowledge around us. I have been thrilled by the architectural structures that are ingrained in our routine but somehow become invisible as we roam around our own city streets. In my work I aim to redefine the usual by attributing a monumental role to the form, which results in pieces that have an uncanny aura. I originate from geometric forms and present them to evoke softness and familiarity, all while keeping their rigidity. Functionality appears in my work as an investigation of living with an object. What does it mean to welcome objects to share our intimate spaces? For me, it has to do with the exploration of that limbo between art and design, where interaction, appreciation and routine intersect. This investigation has been advanced by the use of ceramics in my process; the material allows me to attribute language to the inanimate. I aim to dismantle the stereotype of what is home to me, an accumulation of nostalgic memories that the viewer can relate to.
Ana Buitrago is an artist and designer from Bogotá, Colombia. She has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently pursuing an MFA in Ceramics at the University of Arkansas. She was recently awarded a Graduate Student Fellowship from The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Art (NCECA). Ana has exhibited nationally and internationally in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Ecuador, Mexico, United States and Colombia. Along with extensive exhibitions her works have appeared in numerous publications such as Vogue Latam, Sight Unseen, and Elle France.