JANATHEL SHAW

About the Artist

Janathal Shaw sees her work as a vehicle in conveying a narrative or idea.  The work in this exhibit, although intimate in scope, hopefully touches on national and/or universal themes.  They include equality, self actualization, anti-bigotry, spiritual examination, and feminist distress.

Her ceramic sculptures also reveal her true love for the medium.  She loves the malleable quality and “messiness” of clay, which lends itself to the height of expressionism. Her pieces are bold, weighty, a little disconcerting and reflective of what is occurring in society; especially from an African-American scope.  Shaw aims to emote and provide food for thought. Also an art teacher, she envisions education as one of the roles that visual art can fulfill. 

More about Janathel can be found at her Instagram, @jmshaw1. Her most recent solo exhibition at Touchstone was Unspoken Messages: the Art of Janathel Shaw (2015)