From the artist:

Skin; flexible, continuous covering of the body that safeguards our internal organs from the external environment. Skin can communicate things such as our health and emotions. It adapts and changes quite rapidly to keep the world out. Skin is also a huge part of our identities. Our outward appearance is how others recognize us, how we stand apart from others.

The ways that skin helps keep us safe and comfortable are not always very appealing, though. There is an ugly side to the function of skin. My relationship with my skin has not always been very positive or empowering. This has affected the way I have viewed myself and, in turn, my interactions with the world.

This malleable, often flawed surface that encases us is what inspires these abstract works. I aim to showcase the intricate details and important functions of skin, and explore the effects that it has on our interactions and experiences.

​Meg McCuen is a ceramics artist based in Buffalo. She is currently completing a BS in Ceramics at Buffalo State College.