Over the past two years, my research and artistic practice has looked at gestational surrogacy based on my experience as a surrogate for a family. The journey of being a surrogate was significant but once I wasn’t pregnant anymore, there was no evidence of that experience. How do I share my joy and happiness? What do I want people to know about surrogacy? How do you create art that shows “surrogacy” without just looking like pregnancy?

In 2021, I spent time exploring ceramic forms and alternative firing processes. The forms are influenced by the womb and the protection it creates for a growing fetus. The vessels are tipped forward, inviting the viewer to see inside of them. This is my invitation to share my journey as a surrogate.

When thinking about creating shapes that represented a uterus, I knew that traditional glaze would be incompatible. Researching and experimenting with milk glazing, obvara, and saggar firing became my focus. Milk glazing uses milk on bisque fired ceramics to seal the pieces. Using milk to seal a womb-like vessel continues with my theme of protection, joy, and hard work that being a surrogate entail. Obvara is an Eastern European technique dating back to the 12th century. It is when a fermented mixture is used on hot bisqued ceramics to scald the surface before dunking it in cold water to stop the reaction. The mixture is water or milk, yeast, flour, and sugar. Connections are made between the fermented mixture with milk and gestating a baby. The last technique that I researched and tested was saggar firing. A saggar is a container used to keep precious pots or ceramics from being damaged during firing. Since my body was used to protect a baby, I became the “saggar” while a surrogate. What is fascinating about saggar firing is that no matter what you put into the container, the results are unpredictable. You need combustible materials to create color and patterns. I used seaweed, banana peels, hay, hair, steel wool and other items in my experiments.