Lucy Pearl Stafford (they/them)

I am a multimedia artist and gardener, working primarily with ceramics and textiles. I was born in Santa Cruz, CA, and moved to Portland, ME, after receiving a BA in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic. Since moving to Maine, I’ve developed a love for color, especially during the cold, dark months. My work often takes the form of familiar domestic objects, like lamps, vases, and quilts, reimagined with vibrant colors, unexpected forms, and personal items.

My practice helps me process my experiences with queerness, chronic pain, and mental illness. I explore themes of belonging, home, and the body, using humor to soften and understand these vulnerable topics. At its core, my work is about creating comfort—for myself and others—in a world that often feels lonely and uncomfortable.

Right now, my focus is on my experience with dreams and failures of home, the tension between what is allowed to be public versus private, and the complex relationship between loneliness and community. As an artist with a time-consuming solitary practice, I strive to create work that invites vulnerability, makes space for messiness to be seen in its raw form, and challenges the idea of perfection. My goal is to develop a practice that allows others to feel comfortable showing up, embracing imperfection, and connecting with each other in community.