Vicki Gunter

Artist Statement

“Flowering plants mother and feed the world.” ~David George Haskell Author of How Flowers Made Our World - The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries.


As a native of California, the clay state, I love turning clay to stone. My first ceramic teacher was famed funk artist Clayton Bailey. Yet, I went on to a 40 year career as a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher, I began my profession as a clay artist in 2008. I handbuild ceramic ecoart sculptures, based in ancient ecology, focusing on contemporary issues.

I have been creating and exhibiting ecological, climate and native plant based sculptures since 2008. My past series include:
⁕ My NEW ERA SERIES addresses the Anthropocene, women’s and civil rights issues.
⁕ …IN EVERYTHING SERIES: DNA is in everything. Each California native plant in the series transforms into a DNA helix in unique ways. All sculpted 7x native size.
⁕ CANARY & ELEPHANT SERIES: what’s the next canary-in-the-coal=mine for our planet, and what are the elephants-in-the-room we need to remove.
⁕ My first ceramic sculpture exhibition was THE READING CHAIR. A solo installation/performance in 2008.

On the first day of spring in 2024, I put out a call to community for the first 50 people to choose their favorite California native wildflower for me to sculpt and engrave with their name. My 6-year BLOOM project was born.

All 50 ceramic-wall-hung flower sculptures include their pollinators and habitat; the ecosystem necessary for their survival. All 50 will surround Blooming Spirit (a 6 foot tall amorphous, androgynous, bas-relief-wall figure), “Blooming” from SOIL SPIRIT (a life size death figure appearing to be soil, bark, fungi) on the floor below. Life-giving-rot!

I WANT OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND, OUR NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR POLLINATORS ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR FOOD CHAIN.

BLOOM will be an expansive wall installation, approximately 10 feet high x 50 feet wide. The wildflowers and their pollinators are sculpted 4x native size. So far, I have completed BLOOMING SPIRIT, BLOOMS 1-16 and the life size SOIL SPIRIT is in process. I will also be collaborating with the nonprofit, Friends of Sausal Creek. They are restoring a major creek watershed in Oakland CA with native plants. The trout have returned! The creek is a block away from my home/studio. I will also be collaborating with other artists TBD.

My GOAL is an installation of BLOOM (working title) when I’m 80 in late 2030!

I research each piece in the field (documented with ruler and photos), online and in my sketchbook before working. I sculpt each piece using slab or solid, techniques. I paint with underglazes, stains, and love the process of finishing primarily with beeswax as well as glazes and glass. I fire each piece 2-3 times. I enjoy using copper tubing and wire to unite flower, tendril, pollinator and habitat.

IF YOU LIKE FLOWERS AND LIKE TO EAT I HOPE MY AWARD WINNING WORK ENCHANTS YOU INTO GUARDIANSHIP!

Clay has a memory. It records your fingerprints and all the ways you held it in your hands. Our earth has a memory and responds to our manipulations. My work in clay draws from the knowledge that everything, us, our food, home, clothes, tools, toys all come from the ‘clay’ of the earth. I hope we will seek solutions in nature-based knowledge to grow, gather, love & consume with justice for all. Leaving the smallest fingerprint.

I feel an urgency to create art in this revolutionary time and value clays infinite potential mirroring our own.