Dominique Mediak-Pirigyi

PROFILE

I studied at the SUNY College of Art and Design at Alfred University, working in painting, ceramics and even-
tually settling on photography. I went on to earn my Master’s degree in Art Education and have been teach-
ing at Sweet Home High School in Amherst, NY since 2003, with six years at the Middle School prior to that.

As a visual artist, I worked primarily in photography, both digital and darkroom, and exhibiting in the
medium. My teaching is what brought me back to ceramics; while photography has a certain immediacy that
satises my creative urges, I was intrinsically drawn to working with my hands. Being able to construct pieces
that require a dierent level of critical thinking, experimentation and process drives me now to invest fully in
the medium. While I’ve been making ceramic work sporadically over the last decade, I’ve only recently begun
to see my work as a collection, one that can grow and evolve, and have begun working in this manner.

STATEMENT

My process is one of deconstruction and assembly. I create and dismantle manufactured forms, originating as
kitsch ceramic molds that are often discarded. By breaking down the forms, I create a collection of shapes

that are then brought together to create new, more elaborate functional forms. In some cases, the functional-
ity is subverted, through a desire to challenge the notion of the recognizeable and provoke curiosity and

playful interaction from the viewer. Color is approached simply, in an eort to marry the disparate parts, creat-
ing the illusion that they were always meant to be together.