Marisa Mahathey
Lexington, NC | Exhibiting Since 2023
I use the potter’s wheel for the majority of my work, along with occasional hand-built items. My work is about comfort. Both in the cozy moments of rainy days, snuggly socks, and new growth on your plants, but also being comfortable in who you are. I regularly reference clouds, whether through an altered form, cut rim, or painted image. I am often combining cloud imagery with illustrations of women and textures, as well as body hair. I paire these images with phrases ranging from encouraging and vulnerable, to snarky and aggressive. I portray a wide variety of women and emotions. So often we are fed an idealized version of what a woman should be, when in reality there is no right or wrong way to be a woman. It is important for women to see women who can be identified with, rather than fantasy or expectation.
Marisa Mahathey is a small batch ceramic artist and illustrator, born and raised in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Marisa holds a BFA from UNC Asheville. She has been a long-term artist in residence at MudFire Studio & Gallery and Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Working primarily in clay, she draws inspiration from every day women, pop-culture, music, and patterns. She currently resides in North Carolina with her beautiful pup and boyfriend and works as the Ceramics Studio Manager at Sawtooth School for Visual Art.