Tag Archives: Mandy Kolahi

Putting the Pot in Pottery

There are many approaches to ceramics.  In Los Angeles, a recent one has been the brainchild of Mandy Kolahi and her friend Amber Arias.  Named POT, the business partners set up their 1,200 square foot space last year in Echo Park, specifically chosen in an effort to “hold down brown space.”  Kolahi explained:

“We fantasized for a while about creating a space run by women of color or people of color where we can attract people like us. We wanted to create a space where we feel comfortable expressing ourselves, which is a big thing because LGBTQ and POC artists can feel censored in artistic spaces.”

Although the women were initially advised to focus on the “older white people” market they went against that and created the “brown space.”

In other ceramic news, Sharon Brush’s Sculptural Vessels exhibition opened yesterday at the UNM-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Library.  Featured there are her pieces that are between 25 to 27 inches tall.  Techniques she uses in construction include coil, pinch and slab.  She uses traditional glazes on the exteriors, creating a more matt finish.