In Her New Show, Indigenous Artist Rose B. Simpson Paves Her Own Path

The first piece she made for the show, for instance, is titled Guides and is made of clay, steel, and grout. It is a figure with 3 extra heads floating on top and is inspired by the “mysterious figures” who have been guiding Simpson throughout her life. “In the last few years, I’ve had this very clear awareness of having guides on multi-dimensional planes that are helping me out,” says Simpson. “The more that I’m aware they’re there, the more that I can remember to ask them for direction.” 

Her work, Conjure II, features a head made of clay, grout, and New Mexico pine. Floating rings hover just above it, representing a cloud of intention; The piece represents Simpson’s relationship with faith. “I believe really deeply in prayer,” says Simpson. “I think about Conjure II as remembering how to visualize our clear needs and wants, and how to believe in manifestation.” 

Simpson started the works on exhibit here in March of last year. Most of them were built, dried, glazed, then fired in a kiln. “I use my mama’s commercial kiln [for most of them,]” says Simpson. “I need to fire them high, because I ask a lot of the clay—and I only fire them once.” All the pieces were built from the bottom up. They’re large in stature, some over six feet high, but hollow like a pot, which in itself holds a certain meaning. “Since they’re hollow, they hold space,” says Simpson. “I often think about the space inside as holding intention; I want them to go out and do work in the world, and be vessels for that intention I’m putting out there. The eyes are also hollow, because I want people to feel like they’re being watched. We’re always in relationship always to things that we consider inanimate.”