The Queue: Kristy Moreno

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

In The Queue, the Southern California–based ceramist discusses her mentors and influences, her residency at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, and her love of robust worldbuilding in animation.

Interview by Shivaun Watchorn
February 4, 2026

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The Queue

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Photo by Kate Parvenski

Kristy Moreno at work in the studio.

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

In Kristy Moreno’s clay universe, women dressed in retrofuturistic glasses, shiny nameplate earrings, and boldly patterned clothing stride arm in arm, exchanging knowing glances and smirks. She calls them “future ancestors.” Moreno’s army of feminine figures populate a world of her own design, where women stand together against the patriarchy and imagine an abundant future in the form of standalone figurative sculptures and as surface decoration on vessels.

Moreno, who is Mexican American, grew up in Southern California immersed in art and artmaking, from poring over popular art magazines to participating in the resolutely DIY subcultures of punk, graffiti, and zinemaking. After studying ceramics at Santa Ana College in Orange County, she transferred to Chico State University in Northern California to complete a BFA. Since then, Moreno has shown work all over the world, including at prominent clay-focused spaces such as Lucy Lacoste Gallery in Massachusetts and New York City’s Jane Hartsook Gallery. She is currently an artist in residence at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California, where her work is on display in AIR 2026: Compulsion.

Photo by Deen Babakhyi, courtesy of the artist and OCHI Gallery

I GOT YOUR BACK, 2023, earthenware, underglaze, slip, glaze, 11.5 x 13 x 1.75 in.

How do you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?

My work focuses on the imagined personas of radicalized future ancestors. My handcrafted ceramics are fictional characters that often resemble feminine personalities paused in space and time. I examine the essence of these future communities through the use of body language and attitudes to further explore themes of rage, empathy, and curiosity.

Do you belong to an art or craft lineage? Who have been your greatest teachers?

I come from a family of makers who have worked in a variety of craft mediums, ranging from metal fabrication to stone carving to textiles. I often notice elements of their respective mediums within my practice and can see how they continue to influence my own journey. Some of my greatest mentors would be Chris Dufala, Sue Whitmore, Cameron Crawford, Eileen Macdonald, Amy Santoferraro, and Michelle Im.

Photo by Deen Babakhyi, courtesy of the artist and OCHI Gallery

SAFE SPACE LARGE, 2023, stoneware, underglaze, slip, glaze, 16.25 x 11.25 x 10.5 in.

Photo by Kate Parvenski

The denizens of Kristy Moreno's futuristic clay world.

Your work is in AMOCA’s new exhibition ***AIR 2026: Compulsion*, alongside work by Bianca MacPherson, Maxwell Henderson, and Yoon Hwang. What did you work on while in residence? What did you take away from the residency?**

My current residency at AMOCA continues to be a time of exploration and development of my artistic practice. One of my biggest takeaways so far is that I’d like to continue living and working in Southern California after this residency is done. I’ve truly missed living near my community and I can’t wait to see what the next couple of years brings my way!

In a short biographical film for Greenwich House Pottery’s Clay in Context series, you say, “You can’t do ceramics by yourself. You need other people around and you need all these resources.” How do you find community in ceramics?

I find community in ceramics by continuing to be curious about other people’s practice and sharing the resources I have gained with others along the way. I believe that as makers we hold a wealth of knowledge, and that knowledge benefits everyone within proximity to the studio.

Photo by Rocío Madrid

Moreno carves a design into clay.

“I believe that as makers we hold a wealth of knowledge, and that knowledge benefits everyone within proximity to the studio.”

— Kristy Moreno

There’s a strong influence from cartoons, comics, and toys in your ceramic work. Do you follow contemporary comics and animation? Can you point to specific artists, franchises, or series (historic or contemporary) that inspire you?

A few animated films that inspire me include Persepolis, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. I’m drawn to animated films, and I appreciate seeing any behind-the-scenes footage of their studio processes. I’m fascinated by the amount of care and patience that [animation] artists have to create these fictional worlds!

If you were to furnish your home or studio with craft art, which craftspeople’s work would you include?

My list of works would include Te Dejé Quererme, a textile by Maria A. Guzmán Capron; Untitled (Composition for a Peace Poster), a collaborative relief print between Elizabeth Catlett and Alberto Beltrán; snailshelf by Miles Lawton Gracey; Xochiquetzal, a stone sculpture by Jorge González Camarena; and ceramic furniture by Kelsie Rudolph, to name just a few!

Photo by Alan Wiener, courtesy of Greenwich House Pottery

WE’VE BEEN HERE, 2024, stoneware, underglaze, slip, glaze, 14 x 6.5 x 8.5 in.

Which craft artists, exhibitions, or projects do you think the world should know about, and why?

ELES Cru/Ceramics is based out of Mexico City. They’re a duo working in a variety of mediums, including graffiti, ceramics, and tattoos. They’re an inspiration to the work I am currently making, and they truly embody a DIY attitude!

Mattie Hinkley is an object maker based out of Northern California who operates Second Cousin gallery in downtown Chico, California. Their mission is to “engage the public in dialogue about contemporary art, craft, and design through the exhibition of work by emerging makers and educational programming.”

Scrambled Eggs is an artist-run collective and gallery based out of Las Vegas. They’re a fairly new collective, and I love seeing what new projects and exhibitions they’re cooking up!

Your work imagines abundance and possibility. What does your ideal future look like?

My ideal future looks like a healed generation of mentally and emotionally well adults. This future generation has chosen to break negative generational cycles and heal the traumas that have been passed down to us by our ancestors. Lastly, I imagine a world where art continues to remind us of our shared humanity and existence.

Photo by Spencer Ruiz

SKI MASK SHAWTY, 2024, stoneware, underglaze, slip, glaze, 15.5 x 13 x 17 in.

Shivaun Watchorn is an editor at the American Craft Council.

Check out Kristy Moreno's work online.

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The Queue: Kristy Moreno

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

How do you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?

Do you belong to an art or craft lineage? Who have been your greatest teachers?

Your work is in AMOCA’s new exhibition ***AIR 2026: Compulsion*, alongside work by Bianca MacPherson, Maxwell Henderson, and Yoon Hwang. What did you work on while in residence? What did you take away from the residency?**

In a short biographical film for Greenwich House Pottery’s Clay in Context series, you say, “You can’t do ceramics by yourself. You need other people around and you need all these resources.” How do you find community in ceramics?

There’s a strong influence from cartoons, comics, and toys in your ceramic work. Do you follow contemporary comics and animation? Can you point to specific artists, franchises, or series (historic or contemporary) that inspire you?

If you were to furnish your home or studio with craft art, which craftspeople’s work would you include?

Which craft artists, exhibitions, or projects do you think the world should know about, and why?

Your work imagines abundance and possibility. What does your ideal future look like?

Check out Kristy Moreno's work online.

Before you go!

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The Queue: Kristy Moreno

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

Kristy Moreno’s clay sculptures of future ancestors are avatars of a better tomorrow.

How do you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?

Do you belong to an art or craft lineage? Who have been your greatest teachers?

Your work is in AMOCA’s new exhibition AIR 2026: Compulsion, alongside work by Bianca MacPherson, Maxwell Henderson, and Yoon Hwang. What did you work on while in residence? What did you take away from the residency?

In a short biographical film for Greenwich House Pottery’s Clay in Context series, you say, “You can’t do ceramics by yourself. You need other people around and you need all these resources.” How do you find community in ceramics?

There’s a strong influence from cartoons, comics, and toys in your ceramic work. Do you follow contemporary comics and animation? Can you point to specific artists, franchises, or series (historic or contemporary) that inspire you?

If you were to furnish your home or studio with craft art, which craftspeople’s work would you include?

Which craft artists, exhibitions, or projects do you think the world should know about, and why?

Your work imagines abundance and possibility. What does your ideal future look like?

Check out Kristy Moreno's work online.

Before you go!

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Your work is in AMOCA’s new exhibition ***AIR 2026: Compulsion*, alongside work by Bianca MacPherson, Maxwell Henderson, and Yoon Hwang. What did you work on while in residence? What did you take away from the residency?**