Mac McCusker ( He/They )

I am a transgender ceramic artist. While being trans is not a choice, being visible and therefore vulnerable is. Gender presentation and the LGBTQIA community are under attack in what is a strikingly different nation. In my work, I am addressing the inequalities, prejudices, and fears of otherness that people do not understand. The bathroom laws, sports bans, and lack of health care targeting transgender people are promoting those fears and injustices. These laws promote discrimination against gay, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, and intersex people. It catapults transgender individuals into the spotlight and forces their private lives into a public dialogue. These preconceptions of trans and gender non-conforming persons are why I have put myself on display despite my discomfort. With our history being activelyerased, it is more important than ever to promote visibility when it can be done safely. I incorporate my story and portrait into the ongoing narratives surrounding transgender individuals. It is an effort to place myself and others like me onto a broader platform where identity can be discussed to amplify voices of those whose lives are affected by stigma and stereotyping. It is my opportunity to control my own narrative and tell my story using clay as media.

--Mac McCusker

Mac McCusker received an MFA in Ceramics from Georgia State University. He is a former resident artist and current instructor at Odyssey Clayworks in NC. Mac is a member of Artaxis and The Socially Engaged Craft Collective. His work focuses on social and political narratives. He is a full-time artist and Studio Manager at Union Project in Pittsburgh, PA.