Rat City Studios is home to around 50 clay artists working on throwing, handbuilding, sculpture, and more… and maybe all of the above! We are lucky to have such a vibrant community of artists working under our roof. We want to show off our awesome artists and highlight their work, inspirations, and clay process.

Meet Emalani Artiss (she/her)! Emalani joined the RCS family of artists last fall. Previously, she was making work at our sister studio, Rain City Clay!

Emalani’s Bio:
Emalani is a human who makes art. She recently relocated to Bainbridge, a rural farm island across the water from Seattle, Washington to pursue her dream of making art where no one can contact her (thanks to no cell reception). She loves to explore any and all mediums — illustration, ceramics, performance & fiber arts, she even writes — and her most recent love has been tie-dying and using clothing as a canvas for her drawings. 

Get to know Emalani!

What is your favorite thing about making at Rat City Studios?

I like the people I’ve met here and I always feels comfortable asking questions of others; both managers and members. The environment is relaxing, it feels very welcoming and homey.

What are your inspirations/influences when working with clay?

I like making things that make people feel seen. A lot of my work focuses on an original character called “Blob Babe” (BB for short).

Blob Babe is a blob who loves showing off. She is not my only muse, but has been a long-time friend since I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2017 with a BA + Individualized Major. BB sprouted from the pressures I felt (and put on myself) around perfectionism in my artwork, as well as the pressures and perfectionisms I noticed beautiful humans around me putting on themselves and their bodies. BB loves herself and is a huge reminder that we should too. She loves making people happy and excited, and she also likes making people feel uncomfortable (especially those who laugh and point and then immediately look away questioning why they’re attracted to a beautiful figure without ears and a nose).

How long have you been working with clay?

8 years

Is there something you’ve wanted to try making that you’ve never made before or haven’t made in a long time?

I want to make lamps and larger scale sculptures. I like the idea of using multiple small pieces to create a larger narrative.

What is your favorite part of the clay process?

I like working at the soft leather hard stage when the medium is still malleable and a lot of detail can be added. 

What is your favorite tool?

I love my Soolla tool bag and my small scoring tool.

What is your favorite glaze/glaze combo?

Sahara Liquid Glazes Zinc Free Clear & Mayco Jet Black.

What valuable lessons have you learned along your artistic journey that you wish you knew when you first began?

Don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy the journey. Don’t compare yourself to other artists, and don’t avoid the hard stuff. Be willing to seek out and accept instruction. 

If you had to pick one piece of yours to represent your artistic style, which would it be, and what makes it special to you?

These are a representation of where I am at right now in ceramics. These little sculptures unite illustration and clay work. I wants to make people laugh. These represent self reflection while not taking yourself too seriously. Depression and anxiety are things that I’ve had to deal with so striving to make things lighter is a key element of my artwork. 

If you could have a clay-making superpower, what would it be?

To make clay more durable. Small pieces often break off which can be extremely frustrating. 

If your clay creations could talk, what do you think they would say to you?

Be more patient. Slow down with glazing. Less coffee, more water.