This remarkable artwork brilliantly leverages its literal silhouette to reinforce its conceptual message, standing out as a highly collectible ceramic wall plate with deep curatorial appeal. Hand-built into a distinctive heart shape, the piece frames a woman's introspective gaze amidst a rich tapestry of overlapping visual textures. A soft pastel checkered pattern balances against vivid cobalt blue lace motifs and a black geometric door design. Utilizing precise sgraffito carving and mixed-media transfers, Hodge places her subject near a window opening to a starry night sky. The composition successfully subverts historical portraiture by establishing a profound psychological intimacy, granting the figure an unyielding sense of agency and belonging.
In this new series of wall sculpture plates, Behind Closed Doors, I reimagine source imagery from a book titled In Praise of the Backside. The book’s collection features women from behind, as captured most often by men, frequently untitled and anonymous. In my reinterpretation of these images, the women transcend their status as objects of line and shade, to become subjects with emotion, thought, and a place of belonging.
Discover a contemporary piece with a strong narrative presence, this ceramic wall plate available at The Art Design Project, Miami Beach.
Ceramic Wall Plate - Getting at the Heart of the Matter 2023 by Alex Hodge
Getting at the Heart of the Matter, 2023
From the Behind Closed Doors series
Hand-built plate with sgraffito and collaged transfers
Dimensions: 9 x 8.5 x 0.25 in.
Hodge studied and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Ceramics, with notable exhibitions such as Unsung Muses and Eyes That Bind, graduating summa cum laude and receiving honors such as the Outstanding Undergraduate Award. Here, clay became the conduit that allowed her to speak of her experience and, more importantly, her frustrations. Always curious to acquire more knowledge and skills, she pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Miami. There she obtained the summer scholarship and the William Oberman Award, and graduated summa cum laude. During this time, she moved from expressions of anger to prioritizing love between women, the deep well of internal feminine landscapes and the historical exploration of women in relation to the present through ceramic material. Since then, her works have been exhibited at the Morean Arts Center, Arts Benicia and the Imurj Gallery, among others. She currently resides in rural Georgia, where she transforms her stories into sculptures that reveal what has been historically hidden.
