JUAN BARROSO

Barroso was born in Oklahoma City, and grew up in San Miguel Octopan, Guanajuato, Mexico. He received his BFA in art at the University of Oklahoma and his MFA in ceramics from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. He received the ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist Award in May 2020 and since then has appeared in several publications, including the 2021 July issue of Studio Potter and the November issue of Ceramics Monthly. His ceramic work is represented by Companion Gallery in Humboldt, Tennessee. Barroso is currently living and working in Jackson, Tennessee.

My work is about Mexican labor and the plight, struggle, hope, and heritage of Mexican immigrants. With the current political administration enforcing policies that dehumanize and force immigrants into the shadows, recognizing an immigrant’s humanity is vital. As the son of immigrant parents, I hope to pay homage to my people and the dignity of their labor. I mix 2-dimensional imagery, influenced by personal narratives, with 3-dimensional functional forms. When the political work feels too heavy, I love to paint hummingbirds. With their migration between Canada, the US, and Mexico, I see hummingbirds as a symbol of immigrants. 

Using a small brush, I paint images with black underglaze on functional vessels. I use a pointillism technique because the process is time-consuming and labor intensive. The process, with time invested, becomes an act of devotion. 

After the imagery is painted on bisqueware, I bisque again to set the image and avoid smearing the underglaze. I apply a clear glaze on the inside and fire to cone 6 oxidation.