Maddy Inez, a Los Angeles-based ceramic artist, discusses her practice in an interview with Phillip Edward Spradley. Her work draws on California's natural environment and histories of displacement, using ceramics to explore maternal lineage, oral history, and plant-based knowledge. A key inspiration is a midwifery certificate belonging to her great-great-great grandmother from the era of enslavement. Inez's upcoming solo exhibition at Megan Mulrooney opens May 16, 2026.
This profile matters because it highlights how contemporary ceramic artists are integrating personal and ecological narratives, moving beyond formal art institutions to address themes of memory, care, and inherited knowledge. Inez's focus on maternal lineage and plant medicine reflects a broader trend in art that values overlooked histories and interdisciplinary research, positioning her work within conversations about environmental change and cultural preservation.