Amelia Black Clay Matters

Born in 1983 in Virginia, United States, Amelia Black is a designer, researcher, and ceramicist whose trajectory has been shaped by a long-term engagement with the world of designed objects. Black received their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture & Design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2001 to 2006, punctuated by a year-long hiatus dedicated to a curatorial role at MOCALondon—an installation art project led by artist Michael Petry.

Subsequently relocating to New York City from 2008 to 2020, Amelia Black pursued a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design Criticism at the School of Visual Arts in 2010, where they developed original research into the sensory experiences of physical objects & spaces, writing a thesis entitled “Design Smells: Odourous Rhetoric in Embodied  Experience.” Parallel to Black's academic endeavours, collaborations with luminaries such as Natalie Jeremijenko’s xClinic, George Trakas, Arup’s Foresight & Innovation team, the Noguchi Museum, and IDEO.org underscore their multifaceted engagement with the intersectionality of design, art, and innovation. While in New York, Black also co-founded a community ceramics facility called Studio Ana with her co-founder, Aliza Simons. 

Since 2020, Amelia Black has established residence in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, marking a significant shift in their creative focus. Here, they have undertaken a practice-based research approach to ceramic technology, delving into a scholarly exploration exploring clay and ceramic materials, with a focus on unravelling the intricacies of materials and historical craft technology. Black endeavours to unlock opportunities for responsible mineral-based artistic expression within the context of our current environmental crisis. This pursuit is guided by an understanding of material supply chains, a commitment to more sustainable studio practices, and a vision for a more regenerative model of making.