Amber Aguirre
“My work reflects the experiences I have had in my life that depict the human condition and are often painful, and uncomfortable. I try to use humor to draw the viewer into the work. I find that using these opposites is an effective way to get a message across. I use anthropomorphic figures as the vehicle to explore the emotions that we all experience in our own humanity.
I reference art history, contemporary culture, religion, mythology, and other forms of social determinism in non-traditional ways to engage my subjects in activities that confront the viewer with the experiences of our own fallibility.
To accentuate the narrative, I use various surface treatments to emphasize different aspects of the work. Along with a minimal use of colorful glazes and stains, I use a surface technique that I developed known as “Naked Fauxku”. This approach reproduces a likeness to Naked Raku but is created in a high fire, oxygenated atmosphere with no reduction. The advantage of this technique is that it creates a cracked and painful looking surface that adds subliminal meaning to the work, while technically imparting it with a durability that is unattainable from un-vitrified raku work.” — Amber Aguirre
Amber Aguirre, “Jared, 5-27”, 2023, Porcelain, stains, glazes, 7” x 3” x 1.5”
“In 2011 Aguirre produced her first body of work commemorating the Chinese Year Of The Rabbit, making 365 rabbit sculptures, each day of the year being. For the Year Of The Rabbit in 2023, she was motivated to repeat the project, adding familiar names of family and friends to each rabbit.
However, as it often does, life gets in the way and while this time the motivation remained the same, the inspiration and emotion was elevated. Early in the project, trauma affected the family when Amber’s daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor…The proceeds from the sale of each rabbit are being donated to the UCLA Brain Cancer Research Center in honor of her daughter.
Each bunny is hollow, and each has its own personality and gestures. The hollowness does not represent a void, but rather a vessel of containment. The surface does not present itself as a canvas upon which to decorate, but mirrors our skin defining and expressing our inward spirit and existence. Diversity was a focus. The chosen names go beyond those familiar with the artist and include male, female, non-gender specific and span different countries and cultures. There are some with female genitals, some with male, and some without. Because the bunnies are ultimately avatars for humans, it was critical to represent all, not just our western culture and sexuality. They reproduce and fill the planet just like we humans have, and along with that comes every possible combination of being.”
– “The Language of Art; Amber Aguirre’s Bunny Project,” Steven Branfman
Aguirre’s Work
Amber Aguirre, Trust, 2024, Porcelain, stains, glazes, 10″ x 8″ x 10″
Amber Aguirre, Hooked on You, 2024, Porcelain, stains, glazes, 11″ x 7″ x 7″