Angie Hsu

Unearthing Justice

The varying sizes of these bowls represent the rates of correctional control (incarceration, probation and parole) in six U.S. states. To select the states, I researched four places where I have lived (Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and Colorado), and then for context, I added the two states with the highest (Georgia) and lowest (New Hampshire) rates. The Ohio bowl is made from 2.84 pounds of clay, representing 2,845 per 100,000 residents in Ohio who are under correctional control. Each bowl contains a motif from the applicable state flag.

The varying sizes of these bowls represent the rates of correctional control (incarceration, probation and parole) in six U.S. states. To select the states, I researched four places where I have lived (Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and Colorado), and then for context, I added the two states with the highest (Georgia) and lowest (New Hampshire) rates. The Ohio bowl is made from 2.84 pounds of clay, representing 2,845 per 100,000 residents in Ohio who are under correctional control. Each bowl contains a motif from the applicable state flag.

ANGIE HSU Unearthing Justice, 2021 Pottery collection

ANGIE HSU
Unearthing Justice, 2021
Pottery collection

The three plain bowls represent the racial composition of the general Ohio population in 2010: white (81%), Black (12%), Latinx (3%). The three striped bowls represent the racial proportions of the prison/jail populations in Ohio: white (52%), Black…

The three plain bowls represent the racial composition of the general Ohio population in 2010: white (81%), Black (12%), Latinx (3%). The three striped bowls represent the racial proportions of the prison/jail populations in Ohio: white (52%), Black (43%), Latinx (5%), according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

 
 
This set shows change and growth over time. In the smaller set, linked by a bridge, the green bowl represents the size of the jail population in Ohio in 1978; the brown bowl represents the portion of that jail population in pretrial status (40%). The larger set of bowls shows how much Ohio’s jail population has grown as of 2015, and how a larger portion of the jail population are people in pretrial status (62%). The bowls sit on a platter made of 70% brown clay to represent Greene County, where 70% of those in jail are held pretrial.

This set shows change and growth over time. In the smaller set, linked by a bridge, the green bowl represents the size of the jail population in Ohio in 1978; the brown bowl represents the portion of that jail population in pretrial status (40%). The larger set of bowls shows how much Ohio’s jail population has grown as of 2015, and how a larger portion of the jail population are people in pretrial status (62%). The bowls sit on a platter made of 70% brown clay to represent Greene County, where 70% of those in jail are held pretrial.

Prison gerrymandering is a practice where people in prisons are counted for the purpose of designating a legislative district, but those people are not permitted to vote. Prison gerrymandering gives disproportionate political power to residents and their elected officials , while creating no accountability to the people in the prisons. In 2013, eight Ohio senate districts and 15 Ohio state house districts were padded with significant incarceration populations. The six plates shown here represent the six counties in Ohio with the largest prisons using aerial views of those prisons.

Prison gerrymandering is a practice where people in prisons are counted for the purpose of designating a legislative district, but those people are not permitted to vote. Prison gerrymandering gives disproportionate political power to residents and their elected officials , while creating no accountability to the people in the prisons. In 2013, eight Ohio senate districts and 15 Ohio state house districts were padded with significant incarceration populations. The six plates shown here represent the six counties in Ohio with the largest prisons using aerial views of those prisons.

 
 
The prison population in the six counties represented on the plates — Lorain, Ross, Richland, Madison, Marion and Warren — totals 51% of the counties’ total population by census counts, whereas only 6% of incarcerated people previously lived there. In contrast, 53% of those incarcerated people have home addresses in urban counties. The 6% and 53% are represented in figurines that are glazed in pale green and brown, respectively.

The prison population in the six counties represented on the plates — Lorain, Ross, Richland, Madison, Marion and Warren — totals 51% of the counties’ total population by census counts, whereas only 6% of incarcerated people previously lived there. In contrast, 53% of those incarcerated people have home addresses in urban counties. The 6% and 53% are represented in figurines that are glazed in pale green and brown, respectively.

AngieHsu_Headshot1.jpg

Artist Statement

Before this project, I had a very basic understanding of the flaws of our current incarceration system and no sense of how prevalent pretrial detention is — or how much it contributes to the entire system, further exacerbating institutional racism and the oppression of Black and brown communities.

So I set out on a path of discovery for myself, then created pieces to guide viewers through a similar learning process. The resulting body of work utilizes ceramics as a medium for making statistics more easily understood via physical forms. As part of my process, I strived to create functional and aesthetic pieces that would still carry a significant message about one of the most harmful parts of our society. Beyond exhibiting these pieces, my hope is that they will eventually end up on someone’s table — helping to integrate awareness of mass correctional control into people’s daily lives, so they can easily discuss these issues with family and friends.


Biography

Angie Hsu is a ceramic artist who lives and works on a 5-acre property in southern Ohio. After working for human rights NGOs for more than a decade, Angie now strives to use her art as a means of bringing attention to pressing issues of social injustice. She believes deeply in art as a means of raising awareness and making personal and political statements. Follow Angie on Instagram @overlapcraft.

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