Website: https://www.connorczoraart.com/#1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connor.czora/
Artist Bio
Connor Czora is an artist, educator, and activist currently based in Washington, DC. Born in Rochester, NY, they received their BFA in Ceramics and Gender Studies from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2019.
Czora’s work explores the relationships between historical ceramics and contemporary power structures in the United States. Tracing the lineage of Western decorative arts, their work examines how ideologies are embedded and perpetuated through craft
objects.
Czora recently received the 2026 Emerging Artist Fellowship from The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. Their art has been published and exhibited internationally, including features in the American Craft Council, Time, The New York Times, and more. Czora’s work is held in the permanent collection of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Currently, Czora teaches and works as Creative Director at the District Clay Center.
Artist Statement
My work explores the relationships between historical ceramics, cultural taste, and
contemporary power structures in the United States. Tracing the lineage of Western decorative arts, my work examines how ideologies are embedded and perpetuated through craft objects.
Frequently working in porcelain, I draw inspiration from the baroque and rococo
ceramics of Europe and the US. The extravagant forms and delicate gilding of such pieces’ project opulence and authority. In my practice, I juxtapose this luxury with the material struggles of everyday Americans. Upending our cultural association of the decorative as docile, I use ornament to disarm viewers and open discussion of pressing social matters. These themes span across gender, class, and American empire.
My methods of making often contrast traditional ceramic processes with expanded media, such as performance and digital fabrication. In my performances, cast ceramics become objects of protest and iconoclasm. On my vessels, I use digital collage to build collective narratives of history. These productive disparities amplify the thematic tensions at the heart of my work.
Ultimately, my work honors the “people’s history” that is overlooked in elite ceramics. Framing contemporary movements for social justice through historical decorative aesthetics, I challenge our understanding of the past and our role in creating a more just future.
Work Statement
I’m fascinated by the history of porcelain and how it has been used to perpetuate certain views of the world. My work often references specific pieces made for those in power, like military plates made for the Russian czar or vases made to honor US presidents. When we visit museums, the porcelain on display often reflects the viewpoints of the wealthy, white, and straight. These viewpoints are legitimized and rendered authoritative through intense decoration and ornamentation. In my work, I use the Rococo aesthetics we associate with power to celebrate movements for social justice instead.
Combining the aesthetics of historical porcelain with the struggles of contemporary Americans, my work honors the experiences of the everyday people living in the US. Gilded vases, plates, and teacup settings document a variety of experiences, from the revelations of the Covid-19 pandemic, to campaigns for trans rights, to the mass movements demanding the end of US participation in the Gaza genocide.
Trenton Vase: Pandemic
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
23.5” x 12.5” x 11”
2020
$6,000
Tasse Fierté
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
Cup 2.5” x 3.25” x 2.5”
Saucer 1.25” x 4” x 4”
2025
$100
Tasse Intifada
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
Cup 2.5” x 3.25” x 2.5”
Saucer 1.25” x 4” x 4”
2025
$100
Pride Service: Respect Patients, Protect Providers
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
8" x 8" x 1"
2026
NFS
Pride Service: Trans Youth Belong
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
8" x 8" x 1"
2026
NFS
Pride Service: Webster Town Hall
Glazed porcelain, custom ceramic decals, gold luster
8" x 8" x 1"
2026
NFS