Jessica Smith’s gummy bear inspired ceramic sculpture receives international recognition as part of the fifth international Ceramic Triennial
Story: Lisa Sollie
What happens when you combine thousands of pieces of clay shaped like a small, sweet and chewy gelatin-based candy? One of Jessica Smith’s unique ceramic sculptures of course.
Look closely at one of her pieces and you’d be hard pressed to guess they are made out of clay gummy bears, a technique she began using roughly ten years ago to create her one-of-a-kind art. Smith, a professor of fine arts at the University of West Alabama, not only believes candy has a universal appeal, but that everyone has a candy story.
“Mine began in college when my father used to send me a care package with gummy bears,” she recalled. “I never really thought about it back then, but when I was thinking about what kind of work I wanted to make, I thought about candy; it’s pleasurable and kind of an indulgence — and it made me think about childhood and the good memories I had.”
One of her sculptures, On Another Note, is currently on display through September 30, 2023 at the Narodni Muzej Slovenije (the National Museum of Slovenia) as part of the 5th International Ceramic Triennial in the capital city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. This is the second time the UWA art professor has had a piece featured at the national museum. This time, her work is one of sixty-four artworks chosen by an international professional jury for the ceramics competition that highlights contemporary ceramic artists who are exploring new concepts, technologies, and innovative research in the field of ceramic art. Smith and only three other artists from the United States were selected.
Where it all began
“Every student in my Chicago high school was required to take a couple of studio art classes to graduate. From day one I was hooked. I just walked into the clay room and it felt like home. By graduation I had taken every ceramic course available and I was doing independent study and taking all these other art classes.”
Even so, Smith briefly studied architecture in college. Ask her about architectural history—and she’s your girl; but she did not want to pursue a career in the field.
“But there’s something about sculpture to me that’s really ripe to investigate. It’s small scale, you can think through ideas relatively quickly and have a lot of fun.”
Smith, who created functional ware, teapots, and tiles before she began using gummy bears in her artistic endeavors, wants to help her students at UWA find their own voice and what’s meaningful to them.
Teaching certainly hasn’t stopped her from creating — if anything, it has challenged Smith to dive deeper and find out more within her field.
“I always tell my students teaching is wonderful and I love everything about it, but I also find it really important to be active in my field; meaning, I’m a practicing artist — I make works of art, a lot of it — and I show it. I want them to understand it is possible to be an active, exhibiting artist.”
In addition to Slovenia, and 10 other countries, Smith estimates her work has been displayed in roughly 100 group and 10 solo shows in the U.S. including the UWA campus, the Kentuck Gallery in Northport, Alabama, in Texas, mainly Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth area, as well as Montana and Washington state.
Her passion for art goes hand in hand with her love for travel, and when her students ask her where her next adventure will be — she always has a ready answer.
“This past summer I spent two months traveling around India and Nepal and I saw many of the sites and buildings I talk about in my Art History classes, especially the Taj Mahal, it was incredible.”
Smith also looks for opportunities to do an artist residency — which is a great way to travel and create.
“Participating in an artist residency provides time and space to focus exclusively on making work, maybe even a new body of work, or dabble in a specific technique. A few years ago, I did an artist residency in Sapporo in Northern Japan where I got to see the country and be immersed in the culture —while creating art.”
Although she has traveled extensively, she admits there’s something about the South that drew her in.
“I did my graduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, and I had a really amazing time there. I figured out what okra was and all about Mardi Gras,” she said with a laugh, “and it has a fantastic environment and a great flavor. So, when I had an offer to come to UWA, I took it and I’ve been here 18 years.”