Artist Statement

Rooted in a fascination with anthropology, human evolution, and the enduring language of the body, my recent sculptures use the female form to trace connections between origin, identity, and adornment. Through clay, surface, and embellishment, these figures evoke a continuum of human presence—ancient, contemporary, and deeply personal.

Current Body of Work

I am developing a sculptural timeline that traces the human story from early origins to the modern day. These works celebrate our shared lineage while honoring the enduring beauty of the human figure.

Materials and Adornment

By combining clay with fabric and jewelry, I examine the timeless human impulse to adorn, embellish, and tell stories through the body. Each figure carries traces of ritual, memory, and personal expression.

Process and Surface

My firing methods range from the controlled stability of a gas kiln to the unpredictable effects of pit firing at a local farm. These elemental processes allow smoke, flame, and atmosphere to leave their own marks, creating surfaces that feel weathered, ancient, and contemporary at once.

Bio

Lynda Filbert is a ceramicist and sculptor who recently joined the Charlottesville, Virginia, arts community after relocating from Baltimore, Maryland. Her work celebrates the female form and is rooted in a sustained interest in anthropology, human evolution, and the long arc of the human story.

Her path to sculpture is informed by a life of discipline, movement, and craft. After 23 years at Towson University, along with many years spent teaching and coaching gymnastics, Filbert brings a strong sense of balance, physical intuition, and structure to her ceramic practice.

Today, she combines clay with fabric and jewelry to create mixed-media figures that feel timeless and tactile. Her process incorporates Cone 10 oxidation, as well as the atmospheric effects of Raku and pit firing, allowing each surface to carry the imprint of heat, smoke, and chance.

Rather than centering political commentary, Filbert focuses on the inherent beauty of the human story. Her weathered, graceful forms evoke both an ancient presence and a contemporary sensitivity.