Bowling Us Over

“I feel like the things we do in the visual arts matter most because they challenge the world in a way that people don’t see coming — as opposed to being violent or retaliating with our words. We often get to the heart of the matter.”

Roberto Lugo to American Craft magazine

Shortly after Roberto Lugo’s “(in)visible ink” exhibition of ceramics, paintings and embellished sneakers was put up on display in Brooks School's Robert Lehman Art Center gallery, the artist himself arrived on campus to tell his story.

“More than an exhibition, this project is a collaboration … bringing Lugo into classrooms and workshops where students engage directly with art as a tool for dialogue, authorship and social reflection,” Director of the Robert Lehman Gallery and Chair of the Arts Department Babs Wheelden shared before Lugo’s two-day visit on January 29 and 30.

Engaging his audience is a hallmark of the Philadelphia-born and raised potter, poet and activist.

His work — held in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian American Art Museum, among many others — has been described as “multicultural mashups, traditional European and Asian porcelain forms reimagined with a 21st-century street sensibility.”

The “(in)visible ink” exhibit is a perfect example.

Through the pieces, he strives to highlight themes of poverty, inequality and racial injustice in classical ceramic forms — quite literally “writing” the marginalized into the storyline with graffiti and portraiture.

The exhibition, in Brooks’ gallery through March 6, includes audio/video spoken word recordings and two- and three-dimensional pieces inspired by classical ceramic vessels, James Baldwin, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, baseball and Nike.

During his time on campus, Lugo worked with students in arts, history and other classes to explore the themes in his work.

He hosted hands-on workshops including pottery throwing and sneaker decorating, a gallery walk-through, a guest lecture for the whole campus community and a small-group talk focused on creative collaboration.

His exhibit offers an extensive library of reading materials, curated to provide even more context to his ideas, and at his gallery reception, he featured a pop-up shop with custom-designed hoodies, shirts and decals.

“Hosting Roberto Lugo at Brooks reflects our belief that education should be immersive and socially responsible,” said Wheelden. “This exhibition lets our students learn through creation, curation and community — art not as a subject but as a living practice.”

Learn more about Lugo’s work and see photos from his time at Brooks.

Special thanks to Kiki Connell P'26, who curated and co-sponsored the residency with the Robert Lehman Foundation and Butler Family Foundation. 

R & Company loaned Brooks several Lugo works, which are available for collecting. Collectors may contact Babs Wheelden for details.