JARICA WALSH

Description of Art

​I make art that strives to provide healing and progress, and that examines our relationship with ourselves, our planet, and our universe. My sculptural ceramic artwork intends to strike a balance of strength and vulnerability. The Star Series reflects a connection to cosmic bodies. Inspired by a night sky and the notion that we are all made of star stuff, but beyond that, this work honors my Wahzhazhe ancestors and our origin in the stars. Each individual piece is meant to connect with the whole body of work and yet is unique in its improvised pattern. These vessels are infused with positivity and blessings to be shared with those that hold them, functioning as talismans. I believe that these objects hold meaning, transfer energy, and heal. The botanical works are a way to honor the beauty and importance of the plants and to create a timeless representation. I create photogram prints of my ceramic works as well as plant life, using the cyanotype process. This photographic process creates an outlined positive image of the work placed on the paper. The erasure of details, aside from outlines, allows for focus on the print of the ceramic piece and its unique pattern. The midnight blue background further reinforces the connection to the night sky. I am incorporating storytelling, recording both personal and global experiences, in the prints by means of careful composition and handwritten graphite additions to the backs of the works. The prints of my ceramic artworks capture a fleeting moment of the sun meeting the earth, honoring the sun that powers us and transforming the ceramic sculpture into another form, extending the life and impact of the piece. It presents an opportunity to collaborate with nature, and to experiment with pushing the ceramic artwork in a new direction as the subject of the print. The botanical materials collected for printing are shed naturally or gathered in routine pruning, striving to respect the important relationship of plants and humans to care for one another. I work to bring quiet introspection and vulnerability to my creative process, demonstrated in the meditative carving of patterns into the clay, the careful collection of botanicals, and the addition of handwritten thoughts. It is done with the intention of reflecting the contemplation and openness into the artwork and installations, inviting the same of the viewer with the goal of finding common ground and healing.

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Artist Biography 

Jarica Walsh is a graduate of The University of Oklahoma, receiving her BFA in Media Arts with an emphasis in Filmmaking. She is a multidisciplinary artist, motivated by the core principles of optimism, appreciation, and inclusion. Walsh is the Director of Art in Public Places for the Oklahoma Arts Council. She was born in Pawhuska of Osage and mixed European heritage. She lives and works in Oklahoma City, maintaining a studio in the Paseo Arts District.