Haley Johnson

Haley Johnson
BFA in Ceramics

Small Gathering of Relations
2020
Ceramic
18" x 13" x 12"

The work I do comes from a culmination of identity and activism. As an Indigenous person, I am compelled to make art that advocates for the sovereignty and safety of my people. The sculptures I make encapsulate themes of identity to and with the land and oneself. I work to embody the relationship between Indigenous peoples and their lifeways, with a focus on nourishment. The Three Sisters, beans, corn, and squash have sustained us for generations. By incorporating faces that resemble those of my ancestors, I started my journey of self-recognition through an Indigenous lens. These ancestral forms tie my relations to the food sources we have historically kept tended to. Since the start of this project, I have amassed a collection of fifty individual pumpkin shaped objects that can be moved and piled up at will. Recently, my work has grown exponentially in size. I have moved away from life size faces to large gourds sprouting appendages. I feel that the emerging nature of these newer works is indicative of my own growth both in my identity and self-expression. Ultimately, my work revolves around addressing the generational traumas I have been blessed with breaking. The main goal is to always challenge how I am perceived, how my people are perceived, and how to advocate in the most effective way possible to mend and heal systemic wounds.