"Instinct"

Amy Meya

"As a ceramic artist, tiles have been the focal point of my work for the past several years. I am always expanding on ideas for textures, tessellated patterns, and subject matter. My latest work explores the use of tiles as canvas connected through its composition, as opposed to a physical connection. Birds are one of my favorite subject matters; they supply metaphors for so many aspects of life."

To ceramic artist Amy Meya, ceramic tiles are like sequins on a dress: the glitter catches the eye, holds one's attention, and brings the gaze back for a second look. She feels that texture and pattern can have the same effect. Tessellation--the repetition of one particular shape--has always fascinated her. Inspirations include Asian textiles, Spanish tile buildings, modern art, and landscape paintings.

Meya creates her own tools--stamps and rolling pins--from clay, which are bisque fired so they become hard yet porous. A slab roller is used to roll out the clay and then cut to the desired dimensions. After smoothing the clay on both sides, she begins the stamping process. Individually sculpted birds, branches, or other objects are added to the surface of the clay canvas.

Meya fell in love with clay from her first introduction in kindergarten, where she made a hilltop tree holding a nest containing several tiny eggs. Taking every art course available while in high school, she moved to Europe for five years before returning to her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, where she took several clay courses and volunteered for the non-profit KC Clay Guild.