Today we’d like to introduce you to Malia Landis.
Malia, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Born and raised in the rural hills of St. Helena in Northern California, I grew up with my hands in the dirt. When I was twelve years old I moved to the Big Island of Hawaii, where I undoubtedly fell deeper in love with the natural world. Always a creative soul, I began my exploration and obsession with the medium of clay as an undergraduate student at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California and continued on to earn my Masters in Spatial Art at San Jose State University in the Bay Area of California. You can see the influence of both these beautiful places in my intricately sculpted porcelain artwork and finely crafted functional wares for my company Salt and Earth. Currently, I live in Crockett California where I share a home and studio with my husband (and fellow artist, Wesley T. Wright) and fat cat Baloo.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I wear a variety of hats in the studio and love to bounce back and forth between my production side of work (with Salt and Earth) and my more conceptual and sculptural porcelain work. In my functional work, I handthrow on a potters wheel cups, bowl, and plates, that then I apply vintage maps of the stars and geographic places. The maps are all screen-printed ceramic transfers that I create in my studio, and each printed piece of pottery is then handpainted with 22 karat gold luster to highlight the twinkle of the stars or city lights. I love the final unique look of each piece, as it reflects the process and touch of every step involved, creating one of a kind wares. Salt and Earth started with my love for the coast of California, and my childhood memories of abalone diving with my father. Those seasonal harvests and salty beachside scavenges for mussel shells and crustaceans inspired the other side of Salt and Earths ceramic abalone and mussel platters. Handbuilt larger than life size, these sculptural vessels are food safe and intended for everyday use and durability. Lastly, my porcelain sculptural work is a reflection of my love for the flora and fauna of the Pacific, pulling inspiration from the coastal and inland bounty of Northern California, out across the sea to the unique and isolated biodiversity of the Hawaiian islands. Each petal is pressed by hand and composed into one of a kind ecosystems.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Work hard, make time for your studio practice as often as you can, and continue to push yourself further by taking chances and experimenting whenever possible. My mentor at Humboldt State told me to make the work, and when in moments of total defeat, get in the studio and make some more. The best ideas come from a place of vulnerability and exploration. Being an artist can come with moments of doubt, don’t forget to give yourself permission to be creative and of course, get dirty.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find Salt and Earth wares at the super cute Noon Designs Shop on Niagara Avenue in fabulous Ocean Beach, or online on my website Salt and Earth Ceramics or my Etsy shop (www.saltandearthceramics.esty.com). You can find my sculptural work through regional gallery exhibitions or on my website www.malialandis.com. Feel free to contact me with questions about my work, and I am always open to creating custom work!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.salt-and-earth.com
- Phone: 707-227-2239
- Email: malialandis@gmail.com
- Instagram: saltandearthceramics
- Facebook: Salt and Earth Ceramics
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/malia_landis/
Image Credit:
Elise Morris, Aimee Santos, Malia Landis
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