nicole mclaughlin fuses ceramics and fabrics to celebrate her mexican heritage

nicole mclaughlin is a mixed media artist whose work incorporates ceramics, fiber, mexican folk patterns, and embroidery. born and raised in massachusetts, mclaughlin spent much of her early childhood in mexico and as a first generation mexican-american, her work is heavily influenced by her multicultural upbringing and her childhood memories of visiting her mother’s hometown, cuernavaca, mexico.

images by nicole mclaughin

‘my studio practice, a ritualization that celebrates and questions my cultural inheritance as a woman, depicts the dichotomies of my heritage through the combination of ceramics and fiber,’ said nicole mclaughlin. ‘the use of fiber in combination with ceramic speaks powerfully to how we view utilitarian objects and the experiences associated with them.’

in her work, nicole mclaughlin takes traditional functional objects — like vessels — and by adding threads through them, she takes away the functional part of the object while creating a poetic layer. these string elements also add movement to the otherwise rigid objects and take the pieces to a new arena which opens up different interpretations in the viewer. 

‘symbolically, a vessel keeps not only the physical within but the ephemeral memories of life long after they have passed,’ mclaughlin continues. ‘the vessels in my work are not meant as objects of utility, instead they serve as vehicles for fiber. as the fiber flows from, weaves into, or frames the ceramic, it distorts the functionality but becomes a meaningful component as plate and cloth merge. the vessels contain an expression of femininity and an essence of personal and cultural history.’

project info:

artist: nicole mclaughlin

website: https://nicoleamclaughlin.com/

instagram: here