Visual Art – Detroit
Shanta Ambady is a potter, sculptor and illustrator based out of Detroit, MI. Her work shifts from functional handpainted pottery to conceptual mixed-media pieces, but her style in both of these settings show an appreciation for the macabre combined with a quirky sense of humor. The intimacy of a warm cup of coffee held in the hands in the early hours of the morning is what made drinkware her favorite functional pieces to make, and her sense of humor brings a different element of interaction to the everyday ritual. Her sculptural work focuses on the darker side of human emotion and touches on different social issues as well as cultural customs.
Receiving a portfolio scholarship to attend the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, she studied crafts with a concentration in ceramics. It was the city of Detroit that had its biggest impact on her - with its mix of beauty and decay, and the spirit of struggle and hard work. Since then, she has sought to continue educating herself through practice, taking workshops, internships and the wonderful artists that have become both her friends and her mentors. She is an active member of the Detroit arts community and Pewabic Pottery, has exhibited in various galleries throughout Michigan and participates in juried craft fairs.
Besides working with clay, she also enjoys gardening, dabbling in (no-kill) taxidermy, painting, and performing as a fire-sideshow-burlesque artist under the stage name Vodou Vixen.