Roberto Lugo: The Village Potter

Now through January 8, 2023. A solo exhibition highlighting Roberto Lugo debuts all new works by the artist, social activist, spoken word poet, and educator at Grounds For Sculpture. Reimagining traditional European and Asian porcelain forms and techniques with a 21st-century street sensibility, these multicultural mashups were created on site during a residency at Grounds For Sculpture. Roberto Lugo: The Village Potter includes a 20-ft high vessel with an interactive viewing platform—representing the first time the artist has worked at this scale.

“Grounds For Sculpture amplifies the diverse voices and visions of those working in the field today,” said Gary Schneider, Executive Director of Grounds For Sculpture and co-curator of the exhibition, along with Faith McClellan, Director of Exhibitions and Collections. “As an artist, Roberto addresses equity and justice through visually compelling and exquisitely made ceramics; as a person, he shares our commitment to making art accessible to all.”

Born in Philadelphia to Puerto Rican parents, Roberto Lugo began his explorations in art as a graffiti artist before discovering ceramics. In his current practice, he uses a variety of clay, including porcelain, and illuminates its historically aristocratic surface with imagery that creates conversation around key themes in his work: equity, access, and social and racial justice. His surface treatment is a mixture of traditional design, graffiti, and portraiture focusing on representation of iconic people of color from contemporary culture and history, from Sojourner Truth, Dr. Cornel West, and The Notorious BIG, to Lugo’s family members and often himself.

Roberto Lugo created his first monumental sculpture in milled foam. Titled Put Yourself in the Picture, the work was completed by the artist on site during his residency, fabricated at The Digital Atelier, and then painted by Lugo at The Seward Johnson Atelier. Visitors can walk through the vessel via a viewing platform. A drop-in maker space in the gallery further extends the interactivity of the exhibition, providing the opportunity to experience the materiality of clay.

Additional ceramic works in the exhibition address recent events such as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation. The gallery presents a selection of work by other artists, curated by Lugo, and explores the theme of mentorship in the development of his practice.

“For my exhibition at Grounds For Sculpture, I reflected on what it means to be the ‘village potter’—both in terms of celebrating the people who have paved the way forward for me and striving to build that sense of community support for others,” said Roberto Lugo. “Art builds empathy as well as an understanding of other people that will lead us to see ourselves in one another and grow a family rather than a society.”

A concurrent exhibition, Fragile: Earth, features sixteen artists working in clay: Natalia Arbelaez, Ashwini Bhat, Ebitenyefa Baralaye, Syd Carpenter, Adam Chau, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Magdolene Dykstra, April Felipe, Raheleh Filsoofi, Salvador Jiménez-Flores, Anabel Juárez, Anina Major, Jane Margarette, Mariana Ramos Ortiz, Virgil Ortiz, and Sarah Petty.  It is curated by Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and is in partnership with The Color Network.

About Grounds For Sculpture
Grounds For Sculpture is a 42-acre not-for-profit sculpture park, arboretum, and museum, founded by the late artist and philanthropist Seward Johnson. Featuring more than 300 contemporary sculptures by renowned and emerging artists in a beckoning landscape, Grounds For Sculpture combines art and nature to surprise, inspire, and engage all visitors in the artist’s act of invention. In addition to its permanent collection, Grounds For Sculpture offers rotating special exhibitions in its six indoor galleries, rich educational programs, and dynamic family events. Located in Hamilton, New Jersey, Grounds For Sculpture is easily accessible from both the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and is now open year-round.