Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Izaid Barr . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Izaid, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I arrived at ceramics through trial and error, after trying to work with different mediums, but not feeling like any were quite the right fit. I don’t have have formal art training, but when I finally began working with clay and realized how much it aligned with my personality and the things I was interested in making, I committed to joining a ceramics studio in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Once a member of the studio, I began meeting fellow studio members, asking many questions, observing, taking classes, and just generally staying consistent with practicing and making. Through this process, there was a lot of trying and failing, but always with the goal of learning through the mistakes. Having the support and advice from friends in the clay community has been wonderful and crucial to my growth. Looking back, going to art school perhaps would have sped up my learning process, but I’m grateful for the different path I’ve taken, which has lead to a unique perspective. Growing up in Mexico, I wasn’t surrounded by museums and galleries, but I had exposure to creativity and art as being things that are integral to daily life; the resourcefulness in this is something I try to bring forward into my own work. My current job as a behavioral therapist limits the amount time I’m able to devote to my artwork, but I’m always mentally developing the next pieces, and then creating them as soon as I have the chance.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
While I’m a Psychologist by training, today I create functional sculptures with clay under the name Lápiz Objects. The pieces are often a playful twist on common domestic objects — from small items like book holders all the way up to larger objects like stools, tables, and light fixtures. In some cases, the pieces are unique in that they wouldn’t typical be made from clay. In other cases, they are unique in their shape, texture, color, or scale. My hope is that the pieces ultimately bring joy to people in their homes, in their daily lives, and that they enter into an interesting and ever-evolving dialogue with their environment and the other objects around them. Running my own business was something I had in mind from a young age, and after college, I had my own mental health clinic with two other colleagues. Though this was challenging and meaningful, I still felt a need for something else, which lead me to move out of the country and search for new experiences.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
From a young age, I developed a sense of independence and a confidence in making big decisions and changes. A few years after college, I made the difficult decision to sell everything I owned, leave the mental health clinic I had started with colleagues and my beloved job as a Psychologist, and move from Mexico to Connecticut for a cultural exchange program. After a year of this program, I decided the next step would be to move to New York City, where I had no job lined up, no family, and nothing for certain. I dove into the experience head-first, and the move ended up being a breakthrough for me in all aspects of my life, helping me to realize my own potential, since I had started over from zero after moving to the US. Knowing that I have made it through difficult times like these with limited resources has given me the ability to approach new experiences and challenges with the confidence that things will work out eventually through kindness and perseverance.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
It is always rewarding to catch the first glimpse of an idea, develop it mentally over time, and then finally be able to create it in its physical form and see it become reality. Beginning to see the world this way—as being full of ideas just awaiting discovery—is incredibly exciting and compelling; it shapes the way daily life is approached, making the ordinary extraordinary. Beyond this, there is the simple pleasure of using my own hands to shape the clay, continually learning through the tactile experience. Finally, there is the joy of being part of a supportive community, learning, sharing, and growing with one another.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lapizobjects.com
- Instagram: @lapizobjects
Image Credits
Izaid Barr Zachary Barr