I'm going through images to fulfill a media request and wanted to share these with you. These are photos my talented friend Shoog McDaniel took of my #pottery underwater in 2022. Shoog mostly takes photos of people in #nature, focusing on fat bodies, often showing how buoyant and weightless they become under the clear, turquoise water of our #Florida springs. See more:

Shoog McDaniel

Shoog McDaniel

#UnderwaterPhotography #photography #QueerArt

We took a quick break to celebrate my husband’s birthday and visit some freshwater springs a couple of hours north. The springs remain a crisp 68-70°F year round. After a long hot summer, I needed to feel chilled to the core and refreshed. #nature #inspiration #UnderwaterPhotography #water #Florida #FloridaSprings #outdoors

I just posted a small batch of new pots in my shop. Please take a look:

Pottery by Osa

September Collection

Osa Atoe creates handmade pottery at her home studio in Sarasota, inspired by the natural landscape of Florida and her Nigerian heritage. She uses ...

The abstract leaf motif is painted with the clay I got from Ontario a few weeks ago and the rich brick-red comes from a Tennessee clay from the Smoky Mountain region. If you missed the post about how I create the background texture, go find it now :) It’s a pleasure to create these objects and share photos and a little bit of process with you all. Thanks & goodnight 🙏🏾🌝

Creating cups, bowls and vases intended for daily use is still a central aspect of my practice, but now I find myself using statement vessels as a mode of expression to reflect the current moment. I’ve posted these pieces before: the Hurricane Vase I made after last summer’s tumultuous storm season, A Prayer for Rain vase made near the end of a two-year drought, and the last vase (untitled) reflecting the rapid plant growth we had experienced this summer with consistent rainfall. #pottery

"One model is the North African zeer pot: two nested #clay pots separated by wet sand. As air moves across the surface, evaporation chills the inner pot enough to preserve vegetables for weeks... Using local clay and a ceramic 3D printer, the team built porous column modules packed with sand and water. Like a scaled-up zeer pot, air cools as it passes over the moist surface."

Atmos

The Future of Cooling Was Invented Thousands of Years Ago | Atmos

As buildings crack under record heat, architects are rediscovering ancient technologies.

#atmos #climate #IndigenousWisdom #AncientTechnology

Nina Simone “Take Me to the Water”

If water didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have pottery—not just because water can help #clay formation in nature or because we use water to mold clay, but because we simply needed a way to transport liquid. The development of pottery meant that people could live further away from a water source. In this piece, the connection between #pottery and water has become symbolic of life-giving, cleansing, ritual use, refreshment, fluidity and healing. Access to clean water shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I made this piece for an upcoming exhibition at Utilitarian Clay, a #ceramics conference at Arrowmont School of Craft in Tennessee. I’ve made pitcher & basin sets before, but this is my first one with the #WildClay surface. I began to see them as interpretations of Venus standing in a clam shell on the water, representing love, femininity, sex, desire, beauty. I picture this set in someone’s home resting together but put to use separately—as a vase and a serving bowl. #pottery #cerámica

I have a couple of ready-to-ship garden ollas available in my shop and also pre-order ollas that take me about 6 weeks to complete. US only. #gardening More info: #OllasByOsa

Pottery by Osa

Ollas by Osa

Olla production is discontinued until late winter/early spring of 2026. Please sign up for my newsletter to find out when they're back in stock. Sa...

One of my mentees just called to tell me that she was nervous about turning down an interview with Fox News that was coordinated by a gallery she is showing at right now. It is her first group show and her first media opportunity. Her piece was very personal (about abortion) and she had concerns about sharing her story with right-wing media for many reasons so she declined. 1/2