Vetri is delighted to present a unique study of color in this month’s two-person exhibition, OXIDES + PIGMENTS. Using distinctive mediums–glass and Tadelakt plaster–Cedric Mitchell and Dawn Bassett present work that uses color as a primary
departure point to explore their chosen material. Oxides and Pigments, a reference to the essential elements used to color glass and plaster respectively, celebrates contrast and commonality. While the look and feel of the materials and forms are distinct, glass and plaster share a common mineral composition. The artists’ works sit beautifully in contrast, unified not by style but by exploring color and honoring each material’s essential nature.
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About Cedric Mitchell:
Vetri is excited to welcome Los Angeles-based glass artist Cedric Major Mitchell in his first Seattle exhibition. Cedric’s sculptures are inspired by an eclectic mix of Graffiti Art, Pop Culture, Mid-Century Modern Design, and Memphis Design. In this new body of work, Cedric continues a series he began during a recent residency at Corning Glass Museum: colorful geometric forms stack to create built compositions with a playful, lighthearted sensibility. These engaging geometric sculptures joyfully explore form and color, revealing a dynamic and buoyant visual language. Mitchell was an emerging Hip-Hop artist and business student in Tulsa when he first became aware of studio glass. Beginning as a student in an elective glassblowing course, Mitchell quickly transitioned into an apprentice and instructor at The Tulsa Glassblowing School. In the Summer of 2016, eager to develop his skills and knowledge, Cedric moved to Los Angeles to work alongside his mentor, master glassblower Joe Cariati. In 2018, Cedric was awarded the opportunity to teach a Summer Intensive Workshop at Pittsburgh Glass Center. He is active in Los Angeles’ burgeoning glass community and is a founding board member at Crafting the Future, a non-profit working to diversify the fields of art, craft, and design. In 2022 Cedric was contacted by Nike, becoming the first glassblower to be featured in a Nike ad campaign. As a Nike air icon, Mitchell launched the Airmax Dawn, a design that holds a special meaning for Mitchell as a glassblower who could not produce art without the infusion of air.
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About Dawn Bassett:
After a groundbreaking inaugural exhibition in 2022, Vetri is delighted to welcome West Coast artist Dawn Bassett back to the gallery. Her new work explores time as a visual phenomenon. Concentrating her interest in Tadelakt plaster, Bassett uses mineral pigments sourced from geological sites across the world to create gradient hues in visually arresting compositions. A finish composed of innumerable particles, Tadelakt plaster, bifurcates light at different angles creating colors that respond to light as it changes throughout the day. This is particularly delightful when exploring the non-linear subject of time. These sculptural wall pieces continue Bassett’s mastery of her material and present her as one of the only artists fearlessly traversing the perceived boundaries of plaster, a material often placed only in a category of function rather than one of fine art.
Originally from California, Bassett has used Tadelakt Plaster as a primary medium for over 14 years. She traveled to Italy to apprentice with master plasterers, learning the vernacular of this centuries-old medium where it originated. She says of her interest in the material, “In particular, the oldest form of plaster, Moroccan Tadelakt, has my heart. In my hands, as a contemporary woman, I use it to communicate, and it, in turn, speaks to me. For me, plaster is not limited to its traditional application, only to be articulated the same way it has been for thousands of years. It has the potential to far exceed those limitations.”