I discovered Roberto Lugo as I searched YouTube for “famous ceramic artists”. I was immediately captivated by the four-minute video of Lugo talking about his passion for ceramics and how he shares it with the streets of Philadelphia.
Lugo’s Background
Lugo is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and currently resides and works from the city he calls home. His focus is classic ceramic pottery, but he identifies as a poet, educator, and social activist. Setting him apart is his use of portraiture and design. Basquiat could inspire Lugo’s work, but as he states, he had no idea who Basquiat was before someone compared his work to them. Lugo’s social activism comes into play when he incorporates themes of inequality, poverty, and injustice in the world and his community. When he was younger, he expressed himself through graffiti art, and he now adds a bit of that graffiti flair to his classical pottery. Lugo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute and a master’s in fine art from Penn State. He has earned awards and has been featured in many exhibitions around the world.
The Gilded Ghetto was Lugo’s first solo exhibition in New York and displayed over thirty works by the artist. This exhibition was inspired by his Afro-Latin heritage and his experiences in an underrepresented community. On display were huge life-sized pottery, sculptures, and Lugo’s take on The Peacock Room at the National Museum of Asian Art.
In Juicy, Lugo recreated a large “century vase” with an image of the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. This vase was created for the U.S. Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1976 and pictured George Washington. The title of this art piece is a reference to Biggie’s song “Ready to Die” which addresses childhood poverty and the struggles of achieving greatness, both of which resonate with Lugo.
Brooklyn Century Vase, 2019. Porcelain, china paint, 18 1/4 × 13 × 13 in. (46.4 × 33 × 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased in memory of Dr. Barry R. Harwood, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Brooklyn Museum, 1988-2018
Lugo’s pottery takes the form of traditional European teapots, vases, planters, and urns with the addition of his graffiti-inspired designs. He combines the new and old forms of art to create his masterpiece. His pieces and his ability to teach others how to use the wheel show his mastery of the pottery wheel. In addition to creating beautiful vessels, Lugo uses color, pattern, repetition, and portraiture to design functional pottery. He has even collaborated with Seth Rogan to create functional art pieces. Throughout his work, Lugo uses glazing, enamel paint, luster, and meticulous attention to detail to create marvelous, vivid, and remarkable vessels that comment on social injustice. His years of dedication have demonstrated that he is an exceptional potter. Lugo has been able to take a modern approach to pottery and incorporate hand-throwing techniques, as well as the classic graffiti style most are familiar with.
Notable References
https://www.robertolugostudio.com
https://americanart.si.edu/blog/roberto-lugo
