Magdalene Odundo, (b. 1950 Nairobi, Kenya) Charcoal-Burnished Vessels, 1984, Ceramic, Gifted by Lilian Armstrong and Peter Fergusson to the Davis Museum of Art 2021.17.11-.12

Two ceramic vessels by renowned artist Magdalene Odundo were recently gifted to the Davis Museum. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Odundo studied Graphics and Commercial Art at the Kabete National Polytechnic. She continued her graphic design training at the Cambridge School of Art, where she developed her interest in ceramics. Throughout the 1970s, Odundo traveled to Nigeria, Kenya, and New Mexico to learn various ceramic techniques and refine her style. In New Mexico, she began working with the black-burnished vessels typical of the indigenous cultures of the area. While deeply rooted in African ceramic art histories, Odundo has also looked to numerous global ceramic traditions for inspiration.

Odundo creates her vessels with coils of clay wrapped and stacked in the desired shape, then smooths the sides to join the coils. Once she finalizes the shape of the work, she focuses on the surface, burnishing the clay to make it flat and even, covers it in a slip, and burnishes again to create luster. She then fires the piece once or twice, depending on the desired color. A single firing produces a red-orange color, whereas the two pots gifted to the Davis were fired twice to turn the clay black. Both of the vessels have tall, wide necks with pinched rims on top of large circular bodies. The curved and long-necked vessels are reminiscent of the human figure. In many of her works, Odundo meditates on the female form through abstract shapes that suggest bellies, necks, noses, hair, and other parts of the body.