Artwork · 1987–present
Kiln Goddesses
A sustained body of ceramic sculpture shaped by Martie Geiger-Ho’s research into kiln gods, firing traditions, archetype, ritual, and the transformative power of fire.
Contextual Statement
Material, place, and transformation
The Kiln Goddess Series connects Martie’s tactile relationship with clay to her long-term research into kiln gods, ceramic mythology, ritual, and protective figures. Her shrine-like sculptures, masks, and deities draw upon the elemental conditions of ceramic production—earth, fire, air, and water—while remaining contemporary and highly personal. In Western studio pottery, kiln guardians are often spontaneous, whimsical figures placed near a kiln as talismans; in Chinese ceramic centers, kiln gods have historically been associated with more formalized temples, legends, and community practices. Martie brings these traditions into dialogue with her own imagined goddesses and guardians. Grotesque, humorous, nurturing, and formidable forms become embodiments of risk, transformation, protection, and the unconscious forces she associates with firing and making.
Exhibition & Historical Context
Playing with Fire and Kiln Gods
A pivotal 2007 solo exhibition foregrounding Martie’s Kiln Goddess sculptures and her long-running inquiry into kiln lore, protective deities, firing, and transformation.
Kiln lore made visible
Martie’s Kiln Goddess work developed from a much longer engagement with the psychology, mythology, and ritual of ceramic firing. Her research in Hong Kong, Shiwan, and Jingdezhen examined Chinese kiln-god traditions and the cultural roles of protective deities within ceramic communities. In her own studio practice, these investigations became shrine-like sculptures, masks, guardians, and female kiln deities that combine research with personal mythology.
The 2007 solo exhibition Playing with Fire and Kiln Gods brought this body of work together at the KOA Art Gallery. Large, vividly glazed figures occupied the gallery alongside smaller guardians and related works, allowing the series to be experienced as an environment of fire, ritual, humor, protection, and transformation.
The exhibition belongs to a continuing trajectory that includes The Kiln Priestess (1989), The Kiln Priestess and The Lore of Fire (1994), Kiln Gods: Ceramic Keepers of the Flame (1997), and Earthly Delights and Celestial Kiln Guardians (1998). Together, these projects show how kiln mythology has remained central to Martie’s artistic and scholarly practice.
Curated Gallery
Kiln Goddesses
21 works currently matched to the uploaded inventory. Select an image for enlarged artwork information.