Meet Rana Huwais!
We at The Digs are very pleased to share with you our first Resident Spotlight ✨ We love taking a moment to celebrate the incredible artists shaping the energy of our studio. From late-night throwing sessions to the messy magic of process, our residents keep The Digs alive in the best ways.
How would you describe your making practice in the studio?
RH: My studio practice is very concept-driven, and in order to make sense of what I'm inspired by, I always start with writing. Getting out of my head and into my hands, meaning making, connecting ideas into a larger body of work---it all stems from writing for me. My day-to-day at the studio (and really my entire practice) is a web of tiny repetitive tasks that come together to make a larger whole. There is devotion in this repetition to me, which informs the ethos behind my sculptural work, but on a completely normal level is very calming to me. My favorite days at the studio are my "assembly line" days, when I have a single task or process to do and I can get into the zone and just make.
What are you currently working on?
RH: My work stems from my desire to memorialize the everyday moments that make a life, from family recipes, to drawings on the sidewalk in chalk, to words spoken by someone I love, and most recently, old crochet charts. My latest project has been silkscreening open access filet crochet charts onto functional wares, bringing something timeless into a new dimension on clay that is used and touched every day. Fiber art is fascinating to me because it's so ephemeral. It doesn't last archaeologically the way stone or clay does, but people have been making the same things since time began: clothing to keep their loved ones warm, tapestries with images of holy things, of little creatures and written records of silly conversations they had. People have been the same forever, and this is magical to me.
How has your experience been as part of the Digs Resident Community?
RH: I've been at The Digs since October 2024, and in that time I have learned an *incredible* amount of techniques. The best thing about ceramics for me is that I am always learning, and that there's a trick to any method. I'm so thankful that people at The Digs also share this hunger for learning and willingness to help each other. It's a very nurturing community :)
Is there anything coming up that you’re excited to share?
RH: I've gone into production making the crochet mugs and cups, and I've been having the time of my life with them and sharing them on social media to a community of people who love them almost as much as I do. I recently had my first online drop that sold out, and have two markets coming up, one at The Digs (yay!) and one at Lula Cafe in Logan Square.
Where can people follow your work or stay connected?
website : https://www.ranahuwais.com/
instagram (sculpture work): https://www.instagram.com/ranahana___/
instagram (crochet ceramics): https://www.instagram.com/ranahana_studio/