Megumi Naitoh ( she her hers )

Every day, a vast ecosystem of open-source objects is created, remixed, and lost within the digital landscape. Bound by Copyleft, Creative Commons, or the Public Domain, these files exist in a state of perpetual flux—free from the constraints of traditional copyright and fueled by communal collaboration. My work, "Electronic Dust," seeks to materialize the ephemeral nature of these digital artifacts that drift through the cloud. In the world of ceramics, limestone contamination is traditionally seen as a catastrophic failure. When clay containing calcium carbonate is fired, it initially appears stable. However, as the fired body absorbs moisture from the air, the lime expands with enough force to shatter the surface from within. This delayed destruction, known as "lime pop," can occur days or even weeks after the work leaves the kiln. While most ceramicists view "lime pop" as a technical malfunction, I am drawn to its raw energy and transformational power. It serves as a physical manifestation of the digital cloud: a space that feels stable, yet is inherently volatile and prone to sudden change. By isolating the lime pop, and engineering a specific recipe and firing cycle, I capture the exact moment when a work transitions from form into dust. I translate digital data into physical form by 3D printing it and making a mold. The mold is then filled with a specialized wet lime-rich clay mixture. After de-molding and drying, the solid objects are fired between Cone 06–9, (1000°C-1280°C) “Liberator” focuses on the dark side of file sharing, showcasing world first 3D printed gun, Liberator by Defense Distributed in 2013.

Megumi Naitoh was born in Tokyo, Japan. She was formally trained in ceramics in the United States receiving M.F.A. from Massachusetts College of Art in 2000 and a B.S. in Applied Arts from San Diego State University in 1995. She currently resides in Boston, MA, where she is a Professor of Art at Emmanuel College. Megumi was a recipient of the Brother Thomas Fellowship in 2013, the NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) Emerging Artist Award in 2007, The Clay Studio Solo Exhibition award in 2005, and the Massachusetts Cultural Grant in 2003. Her works are in the collections of Digital Craft at Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K., Ceramic Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and Gauldagergaard, International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark, Racine Art Museum, WI, Fuller Craft Museum, MA as well as private collectors in the U.S.