About City Upon A Hill:
“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”
-John Winthrop, 1630
Through a collection of commemorative porcelain and protest ephemera, Connor Czora’s City Upon A Hill challenges our understanding of American empire and our role in creating a more perfect union.
“The idea of America as something exceptional — something different, and perhaps something better than the rest of the world — isn’t new. Massachusetts colonist John Winthrop’s words from 1630 echo centuries later in the speeches of presidents and the collective consciousness of the American people. As the world’s sole superpower since the late 20th century, the United States undoubtedly commands the eyes of the world and history alike. But how accurate is the portrait we paint of our country? How will we be perceived by future generations?”
In their studio practice, Czora is interested in how ideologies are embedded and perpetuated within cultural objects. Czora explains:
“City Upon A Hill reimagines historical American ceramics in the contemporary United States. Combining the aesthetics of state porcelain with the material struggles of everyday Americans, the works in City Upon A Hill historicize the modern-day U.S. from the viewpoint of those fighting injustice within it. Gilded vases, pottery, and slip-cast sculptures record a variety of experiences from my time at District Clay Center, including the revelations of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fight for Black lives, the climate crisis, and the aftermath of Donald Trump and the January 6th Insurrection.”
“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.”
-John Winthrop, 1630
Through a collection of commemorative porcelain and protest ephemera, Connor Czora’s City Upon A Hill challenges our understanding of American empire and our role in creating a more perfect union.
“The idea of America as something exceptional — something different, and perhaps something better than the rest of the world — isn’t new. Massachusetts colonist John Winthrop’s words from 1630 echo centuries later in the speeches of presidents and the collective consciousness of the American people. As the world’s sole superpower since the late 20th century, the United States undoubtedly commands the eyes of the world and history alike. But how accurate is the portrait we paint of our country? How will we be perceived by future generations?”
In their studio practice, Czora is interested in how ideologies are embedded and perpetuated within cultural objects. Czora explains:
“City Upon A Hill reimagines historical American ceramics in the contemporary United States. Combining the aesthetics of state porcelain with the material struggles of everyday Americans, the works in City Upon A Hill historicize the modern-day U.S. from the viewpoint of those fighting injustice within it. Gilded vases, pottery, and slip-cast sculptures record a variety of experiences from my time at District Clay Center, including the revelations of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fight for Black lives, the climate crisis, and the aftermath of Donald Trump and the January 6th Insurrection.”
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About Connor Czora:
Connor Czora is an artist, educator, and activist currently based in Washington, DC. Born in Rochester, NY, they received their BFA in Ceramics and Gender Studies from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2019. Czora’s art has been shown and awarded internationally, including recent features in the 2021 NCECA Annual: Social Recession and Time’s Best Photojournalism of 2020. Previously, Czora has assistant-taught at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and interned at Baltimore Clayworks. Czora currently teaches and works as a Resident Artist at the District Clay Center. |
