Tess Aykanian

Instagram: @chiquitatessita

Bio: Tess Aykanian, b. Los Angeles, is an Oakland, California based ceramicist and painter. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics from California College of the Arts in 2022. At the heart of her artistic exploration lies the conviction that time, far from being a force of decay, is a transformative agent of embellishment. Taking inspiration from archeological ceramics, tools and aesthetics as well as the Californian landscape she grew up in.

Statement: Through material explorations, Aykanian searches for visual mysteries. Her work is centered around the idea that time is not a device of destruction but a device of ornamentation. She finds inspiration in the way archeological objects and elements of the natural world have physically changed over time, and how our interpretive meaning of them has evolved. The cracks, tears and degradation of an object act themselves as further embellishment and not the absolution of the original work and surface details. The utilization of locally foraged wild clay infuses her pieces with the essence of the California landscape, this recurring motif not only serves as a thematic underpinning but also informs her distinctive color palette, evoking the essence of her surroundings.