Mercy Neumark
BIOGRAPHY
Whether it's making functional ware or making meaningful objects, you’ll find Mercy Neumark happily at work in my studio mostly throwing clay. Since 1998, I have been researching and recreating historical ceramics along with making whimsical pots.
Mercy's first 15 years of work spanned a deep dive into pre-17th century ceramic recreations, focusing on a variety of cultures, techniques and forms of dinner and cookware. Anthropomorphic vessels and functional wares dominated her work, sold through historical reenactors clubs throughout the US.
Since then, there has been a shift to explore more modern vessels using sgraffito, decals, china paints and underglaze paintings. 2022, she connected with Lisa Orr and became her Clay Cohort. Her work has been a mix of whimsical designs and political satire, commenting on current events and heritage.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Mercy Neumark's work follows the simple linework and boldly colorful aesthetic found in historical sources, from medieval marginalia to vintage Max Fleischer cartoons to American Traditional tattoos, combined with more modern styles like new school animation and Japanese manga. She crafts pieces that are both functional and decorative, flavored often with sardonic humor and an awareness of sociopolitical inequities, balancing light imagery with heavy subjects into a unified expression.
phoenixwareceramics.com
Instagram: @phoenixware_ceramics