Abstract

This thesis, Gender Symbolism, explores how contemporary ceramic practice can be used to challenge colonial ideas of gender and reclaim African perspectives on identity. Drawing from personal experience growing up in Nigeria as someone who did not conform to rigid expectations of masculinity, this work examines how gender has been historically constructed, policed, and misunderstood within both African and Western contexts. Through research into pre-colonial Nigerian societies, this thesis argues that gender was once understood as fluid, situational, and socially defined, rather than fixed within binary categories. The imposition of colonial rule, Christianity, and Western legal systems introduced rigid gender binaries that continue to shape contemporary attitudes toward queerness and gender nonconformity. This work responds to that history by repositioning gender fluidity as part of African cultural continuity rather than a foreign import. Working in ceramics, I use clay as a site of memory, resistance, and reconstruction. The sculptures in this body of work employ abstraction, cylindrical forms, and surface pattern inspired by Ankara textiles to suggest the human body without assigning it a fixed gender. Through low-fire processes and majolica surfaces, I intentionally prioritize accessibility, color, and cultural specificity, while reclaiming materials historically tied to colonial hierarchies. References to African hairstyles further challenge the gendered regulation of adornment and self-expression. Rather than offering direct representation, the work embraces ambiguity as a deliberate strategy. Each piece resists classification, allowing space for multiple interpretations and self-identification. Together, the sculptures function as a community of forms that reflect multiplicity, presence, and belonging. Ultimately, this thesis positions ceramics as a powerful medium for engaging questions of gender, identity, and cultural memory. By centering Nigerian aesthetics and histories, the work contributes to broader conversations on gender by insisting that African perspectives are not only relevant, but essential.

Publication Date

5-6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Ceramics (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

American Crafts, School for

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Peter Pincus

Advisor/Committee Member

John Johnson

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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