Portfolio: Beliz Iristay
Inhale as much as you can, 2020, hand-painted, low-fired ceramic with underglaze paint and overglazed ceramic decals, 16 x 12 x 3/4 in.
[Image description: On a white background sits a cast ceramic replica of an empty rubber hot water bottle. The flat surface of the water bottle has the words “inhale as much as you can…” written in blue paint in the center. The text is surrounded by decorative floral patterns, also rendered in blue paint. On the neck of the water bottle, which is glazed in a vibrant blue, is a miniature painting of pink human lungs with red blood vessels.]
In May of this year, after emerging from a battle with the coronavirus that was exacerbated by allergic asthma, artist Beliz Iristay began to reimagine the objects in her personal space as constant companions and sources of comfort as a way of processing her experience. The weight and warmth of a common rubber hot water bottle eased the pain of isolation in quarantine, like a loved one’s hand when physical contact wasn’t possible. A small plastic inhaler aided in breath, emulating the work of her lungs as she struggled to breathe on her own. She cast these familiar forms in ceramic and red clay, memorializing them for their vital therapeutic function, but also rendering them breakable and fragile. Yet, due to the objects’ life-saving power, the strength of their vitality is more potent than their fragility.
This recent series bears many features that have come to define Iristay’s practice. As a Turkish-American whose personal and professional life straddles the border between Mexico and the United States, Iristay’s work is grounded in her identity as an immigrant. She enjoys what she describes as the “bilateral view of an outsider.” This particular perspective has led her to create work using techniques drawn from ancient Turkish miniature painting, often combined with the materials and methods of traditional Mexican folk craft, all of which she frequently infuses with humor. The water bottles feature intricate, hand-painted scenes, text, and patterning applied to their surface. The flattened portion of the bottle is at times reminiscent of a scene from an illuminated manuscript, the textured edges layered with varied organic and geometric designs like the borders of a page.
Iristay often creates immersive installations that invite a bodily encounter with her sculpture. While these new pieces also call for engagement, they are far more intimate in scale. They beg to be held, to be placed upon one’s chest or one’s lips. And yet, Iristay avoids them becoming saccharine by infusing them with political satire. One inhaler, glazed in 24k gold, pointedly criticizes the excessive costs of prescription drugs. Another water bottle shows a detailed miniature painting of Donald Trump, represented as a Sultan-like figure quietly sniffing a flower. The gold script that runs across the image reads “Nip in the Bud” in a sarcastic nod to his administration’s disastrously inadequate response to the pandemic.
Though this series is deeply personal, it resonates broadly, echoing anxieties felt around the world. Multiple bottles are inscribed with variations of the text “inhale hard,” which can be interpreted as both a mantra of survival and a physician’s instructions. It’s difficult not to also read the phrase through the lens of the movement for racial justice and its relationship to the painful refrain “I can’t breathe.” Considered in this way, these objects draw attention to the stark inequities of America’s medical and judicial systems, but also call on us to steady ourselves for the challenges and opportunities that still lay ahead. They are a reminder to pause, to reflect, and to inhale, as much as you can.
—Lauren Lockhart, art historian and arts administrator
Left: Air, 2020, slip cast ceramic, white opaque glaze, 3 1/2 x 2 x 1 in.
Right: Oro, 2020, slip cast ceramic, 24k gold overglaze, 3 1/2 x 2 x 1 in.
[Image description: On a white background sit two cast ceramic replicas of plastic inhalers. The inhaler on the right is plated in 24k gold and reflects light across its surface. The inhaler on the left is glazed in matte white paint, with red paint visible on the interior of the mouthpiece. Both inhalers cast short shadows behind them and slightly to the right side of the image.]
Nip in the Bud, 2020, hand-painted, low-fired ceramic with underglaze paint and overglazed ceramic decals, 16 x 12 x 3/4 in.
[Image description: On a white background sits a cast ceramic replica of an empty rubber hot water bottle. The flat, white surface of the water bottle has a detailed image of a figure painted on it. The figure is portrayed sitting cross-legged, wearing a maroon robe and a long, peach-colored vest covered in a red organic pattern. The figure has blond hair—because it is outlined with black paint and sits on top of the figure’s head, the hair has the appearance of a thick wig. The figure holds a red rose to their nose with one hand, while the other grips a tissue. The words “Nip in the Bud” are painted across the figure’s body in gold script.]
Inhale Hard, 2020, hand-painted, low-fired ceramic with underglaze paint and overglazed ceramic decals, 16 x 12 x 3/4 in.
[Image description: On a white background sits a cast red clay replica of an empty rubber hot water bottle. The flat surface of the water bottle has an image of human lungs rendered in pink paint. Overlaid on the lungs are the words “As much as you can” in gold script, with black outlines around the letters. Below the image of the lungs are the words “Inhale Hard.”]
[Image descriptions by Lauren Lockhart.]