Artist Research Project
Marissa Y Alexander
Marissa Y Alexander is an artist currently working in Hamilton, ON. She has an MFA from Alfred University and was a full-time Artist-In-Residence at Harbourfront Center. She has a BA in Sociology from McMaster University and received an Advanced Diploma in Craft and Design (Ceramics) from Sheridan College. Material and process are extremely important to her ceramics practice. Her biggest goal is to make art with clay that engages other people. She makes both functional and sculptural pieces out of clay. Marissa incorporates her memories into her work making each project of hers personal and unique.
Marissa uses coils in her works because it allows her to take her time, use her intuition, and create form in her work. She makes shapes and adds color to her pieces and creates a story in each design.
I chose this Marissa to do my research on because her work really stood out to me. The patterns and designs included in her work are very unique and they easily catch your eye. While choosing an artist, I saw a lot of neutral tones and very little color. When I saw the color in Marissa's work, it was very interesting to me and I wanted to look into it more. Some of her work is abstract, the shapes she uses are hard to identify but at the same time, it is very clear what she is trying to show in her work. It represents something happy and bright. Also, you can really see the amount of detail which must take quite a long time and effort. She even mentioned that her method of work is a slow process allowing her to have flexibility in her design and be able to change her original idea.
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