Roberto Lugo ('12 Ceramics)
Roberto Lugo is a Philadelphia-based artist, ceramicist, social activist, poet, and educator.
He blends classical pottery forms with portraiture and designs inspired by his North Philadelphia upbringing and Hip Hop culture to address themes of poverty, inequality, and racial injustice.
Lugo’s work reimagines traditional European and Asian ceramic techniques with a modern street sensibility. His hand-painted surfaces combine classic decorative patterns with elements of urban graffiti and portraits of historically overlooked figures like Sojourner Truth, Dr. Cornel West, The Notorious BIG, and his family and himself.
Lugo holds a BFA from KCAI and an MFA from Penn State. His work has been featured at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and the Museum of Arts and Design. He has received numerous awards, including a 2023 Heinz Award and a 2019 Pew Fellowship. His work is in major collections such as LACMA, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Met.