Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Mattes.
Alexa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Looking back, I can determine two defining situations that have influenced my life and my decision to pursue a career in the arts. One is my military upbringing, and the other is the connection I made with my grandpa, who was a potter.
My dad was in the Air Force which meant I had to move every 2-3 years. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to see the country, but I can’t deny the fact that it was an extremely difficult experience. It’s hard having to answer the question “where are you from?” because I truly do not feel like I can call anywhere home. I definitely had some emotional and tough times at each new school I started at, and no matter where I moved I hated being the “new kid” and everything that came along with that. The only place I ever felt comfortable was in art class. Whether it was in Montana or in Massachusetts, the art class room felt familiar and safe and like a “home”. I could actually express myself to people that I felt couldn’t understand me. This passion for art continued to grow throughout high school and is what made me decide to apply to art colleges.
I was introduced to ceramics by my Grandpa. Any time we had a free summer, my parents, sister, and I would go visit all of our family in Minnesota, which is where everyone lived except us. My Grandpa had an amazing ceramics studio set up in his house that he would let me, my sister, and cousins play, explore, experiment, and create in. He would try to teach us new techniques in both hand building and wheel throwing, though at the time I didn’t really take it too seriously. Growing up, watching him create, sell, and talk about his work still inspires me to this day. Unfortunately, towards the end of his life, he was unable to continue making his work due to Alzheimer’s, but even as his ability to communicate with us deteriorated, we still managed to bond over our shared love of ceramics.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say that one of the harder things for me was deciding that pursuing a career in an art field was an OK thing to do. A lot of my teachers in high school warned me that I wouldn’t make any money or that I would have a hard time supporting myself if I chose to go to art school. Having adults in your life that you look up to tell you that you’re making a mistake by chasing your dreams is a hard thing to hear.
This is actually something I talk a lot about in the youth ceramics classes I teach. I tell my students that if they want to become an artist, a musician, a writer, anything in the creative field, that they can do it, they can make a living. It just takes work and figuring out what you need to do to sustain yourself. We often discuss how sometimes happiness and feeling good about what you do is more important than just a big paycheck. It all takes balance, and I think remembering that and acting on it is the best advice I could give.
We’d love to hear more about Alexa Mattes Ceramics .
My work focuses on surface decoration — color, pattern, and texture all play an important role in my pieces. I am definitely inspired by the kids I work with and how they can create in such a loose and fun way. A lot of my work looks like a bunch of doodles and sketches coming together to create something beautiful. As I previously mentioned, art was important to me at a young age and I try to recall that carefree spirit of making that I had as much as I can.
I recently did a commission for the restaurant Area Four in the South End. I was asked to make a set of mugs but was given the freedom to decorate them as I pleased. I wanted to make the mugs look as fun as the restaurant they were going into. The restaurant is decorated with records, old tvs, lava lamps, board games, and even Barbie dolls as drink garnishes. I went back to that child-like mindset and covered the mugs in exciting patterns, weird characters, and drips of colors.
All of my work is fun for me to make and I think that comes across to people looking at it! I enjoy putting painstaking details in at times, but then balancing that out with some more gestural, implied shapes.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
The other big factor from my childhood that has influenced where I am today, was the fact that my mom started going to art school when I was in 3rd grade. Whenever we had a day off from school, my mom would bring my sister and I to her college classes. From printmaking to bookmaking, to live figure drawing and much much more, my mom exposed us to a lot of new and amazing things, and taught us how to think, look, and talk about art. I feel lucky to have been able to experience this at such a young age, as it really gave me an idea as to what my future could be like. Watching my mom work so hard on her projects and even involving us in a lot of the pieces she made is something that I will never forget.
Contact Info:
- Website: alexamattes.com
- Email: alexamattes@gmail.com
- Instagram: alexa_mattes
Image Credit:
Alexa Mattes
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
