bio
Mack Baker is a transdisciplinary artist who loves squishy things—bodies, messy line-work, and soft undulating clay. Born and raised in New England, Baker grew up with an affinity for artisan wares and craft pottery and began wheel throwing at a young age. They have developed an installation based practice which spans across drawing, fibers, ceramics, and photography. Baker likes making work about the tender folds and imperfections of the body and how these repeating forms connect us. In their ceramic work they are concerned with the way the clay body breaks down, and fails; intimate moments of collapse become metaphors for the queer body at rest. In their social practice, they host dinner parties from their home and serve meals from their plates, which offer affirmations to their queer guests. The text on the plates provides conceptual context for the major themes in their work. Their work has been included in the Austrian American Foundation’s collection in Salzburg upon receiving the Seebacher Award for their residency at the Summer Academie at the Festung Hohensalzburg. In the last year they completed a residency at the Institue für Alles Mögliche in Berlin as well as the Project Network residency at Guldagergård’s International Ceramic Research Center in Skælskør, Denmark. They are a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute Chicago.
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Solo Exhibitions
2022- (not) hiding, Gallery 1922 SAIC, Chicago IL
2022- Being With You, Gallery 1922 SAIC, Chicago IL
2019- Fascial Movements, UVM, Burlington VT
2016- Mack Baker, Birch Alley, Worcester MA
Group Shows
2023-24- Unfurled, Post Residency Group show, Denver CO
2023- Zeitgeist Group Show, Institut für Alles Mögliche, Berlin DE
2023- Graduate Thesis Exhibition 2, Chicago IL
2023- SPACORE, Co-Prosperity, Chicago IL
2023- Me Importas Tù, The Martin Gallery, Chicago IL
2023- The Grounds Between Us, Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL
2022- Roy Leiman Center Exhibition, SAIC, Chicago IL
2022- SPACORE, Midway Art Fair, Chicago IL
2022- Festung Hohensalzburg Group Show, International Academy of Art, Salzburg, Austria
2022- pätˈlək, Gallery 1922 SAIC, Chicago IL
2021- Soft Spots: Body as Home, SMFA, Boston MA
2020- Reclaimed, SMFA, Boston MA
2019- Art Shape Mammoth Group Show, Spannocchia, Rosia Italy
2018- Alone Together, The Monkey House, Winooski VT
2017- Frog Hollow Ceramics Group Show, Frog Hollow, Burlington VT
2017- Art Shape Mammoth Group Show, Ironwood MI
2016- Sweet Sips, ONE Arts, Burlington VT
2016- Birch Alley Expo (3 shows in 3 months), Birch Alley, Worcester MA
Awards
2022- Seebacher Award, Austrian American Foundation, Salzburg, Austria
2021- New Artist Society Scholarship, SAIC
2020- Dean’s Research Grant, SMFA, Boston, MA
2019- APLE Research Grant, Burlington VT
Residencies
2024- Project Network Residency, Skælskør DK
2023- Institut für Alles Mögliche, Berlin DE
2023- Post Residency, Denver CO
2022- International Summer Academy, Festung Hohensalzurg, Salzburg, Austria
2019- Art Shape Mammoth Residency at Spannocchia, Rosia, Italy
2016- Visitor’s Center Art Camp, Ironwood MI
Dinners
2023- Gertie Exposition Weekend Dinner (featured artist), Chicago IL
Press
https://kumorecords.com/Mack-baker/
https://www.aaf-online.org/index.php/aaf-fine-arts-prize.html
https://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/review-mdw-art-fair-at-mana-contemporary/