About the Exhibit

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Christian Moses is nearing the end of his ceramics residency at the Sonoma Community Center. The Artist in Residence Program at Sonoma Ceramics at the Community Center is six months and culminates in a solo exhibition of work created at the Center, shown in Gallery 212.

Christian Moses’s upcoming solo show, Mean Mug, is an exploration of nostalgia, grief, and humor through the lens of a Black native New Yorker. Through this collection of sculptures and functional pots, Moses celebrates the magic of the city he grew up in. It considers the nature of the material, and its implication of permanence and importance, while contemplating the strategic disappearance of the ecosystems represented in his work.

Sonoma Ceramics’ residency program began in 2008 and includes a designated studio space, studio apartment, and stipend. As a work/trade agreement, the artist in residence works alongside members of Sonoma Ceramics, helps with studio activities, and instructs a course during their time here.

Meg Billingham, Director of Ceramics for the Center, says the program is uncommon because it’s rare for a residency program to offer both funding and free housing. “The residency brings freedom,” Moses continued. “It’s a way to work on art without worry; worry about income and housing. I can focus on artistic pieces rather than on commercial art.”

The staff adores the energy and playfulness Moses brings to the Center. “Soma people just have a sparkle that draws people to them,” said SCC Administrative Assistant Norine Daniel. “Christian is one of those uniquely special souls.”

Mean Mug by Christian Moses will open with a reception and artist talk in Gallery 212 on Saturday, May 31st, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The exhibit will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free, and the show will remain open through Saturday, June 28th. For more information, go to sonomacommunitycenter.org or call 707-938-4626.

About Christian Moses

Christian Moses discovered ceramics on a whim. His background as an artist was based in photography. On a trip to Tokyo, Japan, Moses purchased a couple of ceramic pots in a shop. Those pieces inspired him to take a ceramics class and, as he says, “It just stuck!”

In New York, Moses handcrafts whimsical ceramics sold under his homeware line, “Handle with Care by Christian Moses.” Mugs, jars, and incense holders are made in small batch productions featuring one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn illustrations of childhood memories and pop culture moments.

“Space here in the studio is a lot like home,” Moses said, “but at home, there would be about ten artists across the tables that here have only one to two artists each.” The space in the studio and the sizes of the kilns in the department have allowed him to go bigger than ever before with his sculptural work. “Plus,” he says, “I have the freedom to make gigantic things!”

In addition to Christian’s incredibly articulate skill is his ability to world-build within his work. Across his functional and sculptural objects, you see repeated or intersecting storylines, familiar characters, and a sense of a cohesive language not easy to achieve.