Oami Powers is a visual artist based in North Carolina whose work explores themes of memory, nostalgia, grief, and place. Raised in California and New Zealand, her experiences of cultural transition deeply influence her practice.
Powers holds a B.A. in Art History and Classical Studies from the University of Canterbury. In 2018, she was selected as the North Carolina Emerging Artist in Residence at Artspace in Raleigh. Her work has been shown in solo and juried group exhibitions nationwide. Powers has refined her craft through workshops at Penland School of Craft, Anderson Ranch, and with artist Cristina Cordova.
Since 2020, Powers has focused almost exclusively on clay, captivated by the material’s tactile qualities. “I am deeply fascinated by this ancient and humble medium which at its core requires just three elements—mud, hands, and fire. Wet clay has a tenderness, and fired clay a bony-ness, that has a lovely resonance with the ideas central to my work: the vulnerability and resilience inherent in the human experience.”
