Anika Major is a Texas-born ceramic artist living in Seattle, Washington. She graduated from the University of North Texas, and received her BFA in ceramics and painting. She moved to Seattle in 2018, now teaching clay classes and managing operations at Rain City Clay. Anika maintains a full-time studio practice in Georgetown, creating functional pottery that blends her passion for clay with figure painting. Her wheel-thrown and handbuilt pieces are characterized by their human body-inspired shapes and vivid, expressive surfaces. Anika’s narratives of romance and queer domestic comforts are informed by her affinity for the pageantry of the rodeo, and the symbolism of the glamorous and feminine cowgirl.

“My pottery embodies queer joy, gender identity, and romanticized stereotypes of my American Western and Texas heritage. I desire to create warm, comforting objects that hold a presence at the table, offering connection through the vulnerability of the human form. The soft forms of my wheel-thrown, altered, and handbuilt objects are accentuated with painterly surfaces The play of figures on plump forms imitate the body the ultimate goal of sparking connection and intimacy. My pottery is designed to bring people together through shared meals, creating space for storytelling, and fostering a sense of warmth and belonging.”