Space Baskets

Space Baskets is an installation of multicolored papier mâché bowls dyed in earth tones evoking clay, the material for which interdisciplinary artist Rose B. Simpson is best known. Each basket is marked with a black plus sign, an indigenous symbol related to the guiding light and protection of directional stars. In Pueblo culture, baskets are often given as gifts of gratitude, becoming symbols of generosity and reciprocity when displayed in a recipient’s home. Simpson's sculptures are informed by traditional indigenous ceramic techniques passed down through generations of women potters in her family.

About the artist 

Rose B. Simpson is a mixed-media artist from Santa Clara Pueblo, NM. Her work engages ceramic sculpture, metals, fashion, performance, music, installation, writing, and custom cars. She received an MFA in Ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011, an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2018, is collected in museums across the continent, and has exhibited internationally. She lives and works from her home at Santa Clara Pueblo, and hopes to teach her young daughter how to creatively engage the world.

Browse the Denning House Art Collection