Sculpting Dreams: Ceramics student Andy Martinez embraces psychology and clay

Freshman Andy Martinez makes hundreds of bowls before getting “the one.”

While other students are asleep at 1 a.m., Martinez is often in the ceramics studio on campus alongside a few colleagues spinning, shaping and trimming — honing his craft.

“I would stay up till one or even two in the morning trying to perfect my bowls. I wanted to keep on shaping them better,” Martinez said.

Martinez is one of the 75 students whose work is on display in the Annual Student Art Show, juried by the Art Department faculty.

Martinez never intended to submit his work; it is simply something that he enjoys doing as a hobby. The psychology major plans on becoming a therapist after getting his master’s degree, but his passion for ceramics is something that he hopes he can bake into his future practice.

When Martinez learned that the exhibition had opened applications for students to submit artwork, Martinez proudly submitted a ceramic bowl he made for his mother titled “Mom.” He also submitted another creation that he made for his father. The smooth, glossy clay bowls represented his parents’ femininity and masculinity.

“I tried to make [“Mom”] shaped more feminine, so it is more rounded and has a lip going out. [“Dad”] is more of a regular tall bowl, deep because of how much he eats, it’s more for practical use,” he said.

“Mom” has a spiral in the middle of the bowl with hues of brown looking like freckles on a face. “Dad” on the other hand is a bigger bowl with brown freckles as well as blue and gray shades seeping down into the center of the bowl.

With family in Oaxaca, Martinez visits his hometown quite frequently and is immersed in the Oaxacan culture. While making the bowls, Martinez wanted to create art pieces representing his culture but with his own twist.

Martinez was notified that he was selected among other talented students to showcase his art in the opening reception for the exhbition on Friday, May 10. The show runs until June 5 in the SAC Main Gallery.

“It is the first time that I created work that is impactful and good enough for me to submit,” said Martinez. “Seeing my art made me smile and I am happy to see other friends work there.”

Martinez is proud of himself and believes that he has bettered his art after countless hours of practice and making over 50 art pieces during the spring semester.

Martinez plans on continuing to take ceramics classes and hopes that by the end of the fall semester he “should have more than 100 pieces made.”

He will continue to work on his ceramics skills and is planning far into the year.

Martinez has embodied the words he remembers his professor saying: “If you want one good bowl, you have to make five, but if you want to make a really good bowl, you need to make 10.”