Skuja Braden is a collaborative duo formed in 1999 by Latvian artist Ingūna Skuja and American artist Melissa D. Braden. Their practice merges porcelain sculpture with painting, creating immersive works that explore identity, gender, politics, and the tension between personal and collective narratives. The artists collaborate closely from initial sketches to final glazing, producing pieces that are both meticulously crafted and conceptually rich. Their works often feature fantastical and grotesque creatures, including swans, dalmatians, fish, and serpents, alongside references to popular culture such as the Pink Panther and Minnie Mouse. Rendered in vibrant colors and intricate patterns, these figures challenge traditional notions of beauty, propriety, and narrative expectation. Through their transformation of porcelain—a material associated with refinement—Skuja Braden blends tradition with contemporary innovation. Their practice blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture, order and chaos, and individual versus collective creation, inviting viewers to engage with the tension between familiarity and the uncanny in the material and symbolic world. ...
