Sharif Bey: Ancestral Vestiges

“I describe myself as a sculptor who’s embracing his identity as a potter and looking at the history and repertoire of functional pots to predicate my sculptural works . . .” – Sharif Bey Inspired by modernism, functional pottery, Oceanic Art and Art of the African diaspora, Bey’s works investigate the cultural and political significance of adornment and the symbolic and formal properties of archetypal motifs. Ancestral Vestiges includes vessel-inspired mixed media works (Kiwi Bird #1), mask-like sculptures (Protest Shield #2), and large-scale power necklaces (Louie Bones #4). These and other works in the exhibition reflect his continued exploration of functional and ritual objects, and the materiality of clay, metal, wood, and glass. Rich in symbolism and iconography, his work questions how the meaning of icons and function transform across cultures and time. Sharif Bey currently lives and works in Syracuse, NY where he is a dual assistant professor in art education and teaching and leadership at Syracuse University. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he knew he wanted to be a contemporary ceramic artist since he was fifteen. As a teen he received an introduction to community-based arts programming through an Apprenticeship Program at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s (MCG) in Pittsburgh.  Bey earned his B.F.A. in ceramics from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, an M.F.A. in studio art from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Ph.D. in art education from Penn State University. He has participated in many artist-in-residencies and fellowships. He has also participated in many national and international exhibitions including the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, Canada, and the Pittsburg Glass Museum, Pittsburgh, PA. His work can be found in numerous public collections such as: The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA; Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery, Washington DC; the Columbus Museum of Art, OH; and the United States Embassies of Khartoum, Sudan; Kampala, Uganda; and Jakarta, Indonesia.