Anina Major

The aesthetic intricacies of Hybrid No. 00105042021 echo Anina Major’s complex interrogations of how objects embody ideas “beyond materiality, existence, or placement.” Bearing a blue glaze infused with Bahamian sea glass, the vessel incorporates Major’s frequent positioning of water as an entry point for thinking about space and time. The plaited stoneware reflects traditional Bahamian and Black Seminole basket-weaving styles. Plaiting, adjacent to braiding, is an African diasporic commonality observed in hairstyles and basketry. Anina learned plaiting from her grandmother and applied it to ceramics as a means of challenging its commercialization while preserving its artistic language and legacy.

-Ahmari Benton, Nancy Prophet Fellow