Jim McDowell, who calls himself ‘the Black Potter’, has spent much of his 35-year-long career making face jugs, a form introduced by enslaved people of African origin in the US in the 19th century. But it took him until almost two years ago, aged 76, to finally get a gas- and wood-fired kiln of his own, despite a lifetime of pursuing what seems not to have been just a passion for pottery, but a calling.
Talking from his studio in Weaverville, North Carolina, McDowell says his family knew he was destined to work with clay from the time he was a toddler playing in a sandbox, and dates his awakening to attending a family funeral at the age of 13. ‘My grandfather told us that we had an ancestor named Evangeline who was a slave potter in Jamaica, and that she made face jugs. It struck a chord with me.’
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Wallpaper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
POLE POSITION
A compact Melbourne house with a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentation
URBAN OASIS
At an art-filled Mexico City residence, New York designer Giancarlo Valle has put his own spin on the country's traditional craft heritage
WARM FRONT
Designer Clive Lonstein elevates his carefully curated Manhattan home with rich textures and fabrics
BALCONY SCENE
A Brazilian island hotel offers a unique approach to the alfresco experience
ENSEMBLE CAST
How architect Anne Holtrop is leaving his mark on the Middle East
Survival mode
A new show looks at preparing for a post-apocalyptic landscape (and other catastrophes)
FLASK FORCE
A limited-edition perfume collaboration between two Spanish craft masters says it with flowers
BLOOM SERVICE
A flower-shaped brutalist beauty in Geneva gets a refresh
SECOND NATURE
A remodelled museum in Lisbon, by Kengo Kuma & Associates, meshes Japanese and Portuguese influences to create a space that sits in harmony with its surroundings
Guiding light
Designer Joe Armitage follows his grandfather's footsteps in India, reissuing his elegant midcentury lamp and creating a new chandelier for Nilufar Gallery