NEW YORK, NY.- R & Company announced its representation of Roberto Lugo, an acclaimed Philadelphia-based artist, activist, and educator. Lugo is an innovative and visionary creator, who seamlessly bridges the realms of fine art and collectible design and brings a singularly contemporary perspective to centuries-old ceramic traditions. His practice, which spans ceramics, spoken-word poetry, and community-based projects, embraces the multitude of references that have shaped his life, from his Afro-Latino roots and upbringing in North Philadelphia to his engagement with Hip Hop culture and critical issues surrounding racial injustice. Over the past several years, Lugo’s intricate hand-made objects, which reimagine ceramics through the lens of 21st century street sensibility, have come to prominence through presentations such as Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room, currently on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and commissions for institutions like the Brooklyn Museum, for which he created the Brooklyn Century Vase. R & Company will feature Lugo’s work at the forthcoming editions of TEFAF and Design Miami and will open a solo presentation in 2023.

“Roberto’s ceramic works are so dynamic because they bring together age-old techniques, motifs, and forms with vivid expressions of contemporary experience. The ways in which he uses traditional pottery approaches to highlight issues of poverty, inequality, and representation is utterly unique. This isn’t something we’ve seen before, and it’s so essential to both the future of art and design. We are incredibly excited to collaborate with Roberto to further develop the audience for his practice, to advance the market for his work, and to support his ongoing commitment to community through his creative endeavors,” said Zesty Meyers, Principal at R & Company.

Lugo’s practice is multicultural and intergenerational. He uses centuries-old European and Asian pottery techniques that he has skillfully honed to create his clay forms, which he then hand paints, combining traditional decorative patterns with portraiture and designs inspired by contemporary life. His opulent objects often capture the likenesses of historically underrepresented figures in dialogue with icons of popular culture and everyday people, capturing individuals such as The Notorious BIG, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Cornel West as well as members of his family and community, and even himself. Lugo’s 2019 work, Do you know how hard it is to get a Black man through high school? paints the portrait of Michael Brown Jr., a Black man who was killed by Ferguson police in 2014. In this way, Lugo’s objects confront art and design history, asserting the voices and faces that have for far too long been obscured and omitted in predominant cultural narratives and that reflect the true diversity of our society.

“What inspires me most about Roberto's work is his honesty as he confronts real issues in real-time. Approaching subject matters like racism and systemic issues through craft is virtually unheard of, and his ability to infuse beauty into his practice while confronting and highlighting these shared realities is brave and very much needed. We deeply appreciate Roberto's commitment to community and his vision to use ceramics as a means of encouraging and supporting others. This is an effort we hope to amplify through our collaboration, and we could not be prouder to work with such a game-changing artist,” said Evan Snyderman, Principal at R & Company.

Lugo holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, among others. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 2019 Pew Fellowship, a Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize, and a US Artist Award. His work is found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The High Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Walters Art Museum, and more. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, PA.