Optional Omniscience, 2019

Alex Hodge   New & remarkable Artists

Optional Omniscience Carved porcelain One of a kind .

Hodge's poetic porcelain plates examine and reimagine the history of art in a way that values women, not only in body, but in wholeness, power, and love. Focusing on the narrative qualities of art-making, Hodge weaves stories into the clay which are both personal and universal. 

This striking ceramic artwork features a stylized female figure encased in a square, frame-like structure, rotated to a diamond orientation. The figure is depicted with an elongated face, accentuated features, and an introspective gaze, evoking a sense of mystery and contemplation. Her hair flows gracefully, complementing her detailed attire decorated with star motifs. The bold use of blue and white contrasts sharply, enhancing the visual drama. Surrounding the figure is a dynamic, web-like pattern that suggests both entrapment and connectivity. This intricate design cleverly balances simplicity with complexity, drawing the viewer into its textured layers. The piece's edges are subtly irregular, adding an organic quality to the geometric form. This artwork's fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern, abstract expression elevates its unique aesthetic, making it a captivating centerpiece.

Alex Hodge was always drawn to the arts and regularly channeled her creativity as a child whether in watercolor classes or scrapbooking with her mother. Hodge focuses on prioritizing women’s narratives in all aspects of her work. Through the decorative and symbolic details, she hints at narratives without completing them to invite the viewer to participate in creating meaning. The women she invents exist in the present but is of the imagined future in which we all have room to flourish, to tell our stories, to give and receive love, and to express the beauty and pain of the human condition. Fundamentally, her artworks are a celebration of the tenacity and vulnerability of women and clay, an interplay of history and hope.