As a clay artist, I’m constantly on the lookout for new artists and inspiration. Because I am invisibly disabled myself and work in this space professionally, I often feel most inspired by others in this community. 

Here are a couple of disabled clay artists on my mind right now, and why you should give them a look!

I’d love to hear some of the disabled artists who you keep thinking about in the comments. 

Shinichi Sawada 

Shinichi Sawada is a Japanese sculptor who creates fanciful, detailed creatures using small, repetitive pieces of clay. He is considered an “outsider” artist, as he creates mostly outside of the academic and gallery art scene and does not have a “formal” art education. He is autistic and nonverbal, and is currently enrolled in a Japanese disabled enrichment program that gives him access to working both with clay and with bread at a bakery. 

His creatures are fascinating, and I have also been working with multiple repetitive pieces lately. I feel there is some overlap, too, with the clay forms he creates and sculptures that could be created out of bread. 

I used Sawada-san’s work as inspiration for my “Creatures” workshop that I hosted at Revision La Mesa creative workspace in October.

Amanda M Barr 

Amanda M Barr is an art historian and disabled ceramicist who works with a variety of techniques and forms. I feel most inspired by her sculptures where she juxtaposes neon and lighting with forms that she creates by dipping everyday objects into slip.

Another important feature of her work is thin, inlaid illustrations, which is something I explore as well. I also really enjoy her older works, as she is an accomplished thrower who has used historical vessels and cups to bring attention to assumptions of “usefulness” that impact disabled people. 

Carly Riegger 

Carly Riegger is a chronically ill and disabled sculptor, who mostly explores biologically inspired works around themes of medicalization of disability. I feel most inspired by their use of multimedia alongside her clay forms, as they utilize textiles, resin, paint, and a variety of other materials in their work. 

I also really enjoy Carly’s focus on participatory art, as many of their art series start with a call to the disabled community for personal stories or experiences that are then interpreted through art. I particularly love Carly’s petri dish series, which feature clay and resin. 

Along with Amanda M Barr, Carly was a co-organizer of the #CripClay show at NCECA 2023 that I contributed a bowl to. Both of these artists are constantly working to increase the visibility of disabled artists working in clay, and to share practical tips to combat challenges we face.

I  hope you enjoyed this brief list of disabled clay artists that are on my mind right now!

I’d love to hear more about your favorites.