Tiffany I. Smith
Simone Leigh
SculptorCeramicistKnown for:
Large-scale stoneware, terra cotta, and bronze sculptures exploring Black female subjectivity, referencing African art traditions
Education:
Earlham College (BA Art, 1990)
Simone Leigh is a sculptor and ceramicist from Chicago whose work draws on African, African American, and African diasporic art traditions to explore Black female identity. She works primarily in stoneware, porcelain, terra cotta, and bronze, employing labor-intensive techniques including salt-firing, Albany slip glazing, and lost-wax casting. In 2022, she became the first Black woman to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, where her exhibition "Sovereignty" won the Golden Lion for best participant.
Simone Leigh's Gear List(3)
Generic
Product description
Mid- to high-fire clay body that matures between Cone 6 and Cone 10 (roughly 1200-1300C). Denser and less porous than earthenware after firing, stoneware is used for functional pottery and sculptural work requiring structural strength.
Connection note
Primary clay body for busts and vessels. Works listed as "stoneware and Albany slip" across multiple exhibitions.
Generic
Product description
High-fire clay body composed primarily of kaolin, firing between 1200 and 1400C. Porcelain produces a translucent, vitrified body with a distinctive white color and smooth surface. It is less forgiving than stoneware and requires precise moisture control during throwing and drying.
Know something Simone Leigh uses that's not listed?
Log in to submitRelated artists
Last updated March 22, 2026
