Artist Colin J. Radcliffe creates doll-like ceramic sculptures of queer people who are navigating everyday life situations such as love and friendship. Marks of the artist’s touch are clearly visible in his sculptures, as his dolls’ ceramic surfaces do not appear smooth and polished but instead proudly show imprints of his fingerprints and hand gestures on them. As a queer person himself, the fact that he is leaving his mark on the dolls adds a layer of authenticity to how they represent of queer life.
Hence, his pieces challenge the often heteronormative portrayal of queer life, a creative lens which puts heterosexual relationships as a standard that everyone, including queer people, should aspire to. Radcliffe’s pieces instead authentically show how nuanced the queer experience can be, to humanize the queer experience for those from outside of the community. The pieces also give those within the community a sense of belonging in society, as it validates their experiences. All this is why the queer ceramic sculptures by Colin J. Radcliffe are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Reduced Inequalities and Gender Equality.
In 2023, the American non-profit GLAAD published their 11th Studio Responsibility Index, an annual report which tracks LGBTQ+ representation in media released by Hollywood distributors. The results found that out of 350 titles released in 2022, 28.5 percent of them featured LGBTQ characters, marking positive change in terms of the queer representation. However, the report also found that in over half of these films, their queer characters had less than five minutes of screen time, with 86 of them appearing for less than one minute. This means that it is more than likely that these representations do not allow for complex and authentic portrayal of queer people. Hence, the importance of initiatives such as Colin J. Radcliffe’s ceramic sculptures.
Colin J. Radcliffe’s ceramic sculptures offer an authentic and nuanced portrayal of queer life, challenging the heteronormative narratives often found in mainstream media. By leaving visible imprints of his touch on the pieces, Radcliffe imbues his work with personal and communal meaning, humanizing queer experiences for broader audiences while fostering a sense of belonging within the LGBTQ+ community. In a media landscape where queer representation is often fleeting and superficial, Radcliffe’s work stands out as a vital artistic contribution to advocate for deeper, more authentic visibility and inclusion.
Find out more about queer ceramics and other pieces by Colin J. Radcliffe on his website www.colinjradcliffe.com or Instagram @colinmemaybe.