We are thrilled to announce Taha Clayton’s first object edition, Ancestral Alchemy, offered exclusively for the Wassaic Project’s 2025 Winter Benefit.

When developing this piece, Clayton drew from the history of the poppy flower. Once a symbol of the opium trade, poppies are today worn in remembrance of WWI. In Ancestral Alchemy, Clayton places a piece of cotton in relief at the center of a glazed stoneware wall piece. In doing so, he seeks to reclaim a symbol of oppression as one of perseverance and protection, creating a heraldic shield for those who fought before him.

Clayton first came to Wassaic as a family resident in 2021. Since then, we’ve shown him on the top floor of Maxon Mills, curated a solo show of his work at Troutbeck, and, now, sponsored the fabrication of this edition. This is how we support artists: first offering them time and space, then funding and guidance to open entirely new dimensions of their practice. Each purchase of this edition helps ensure we can continue to do so in 2025 and beyond.

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Glazed stoneware, 21 in x 26 in x 3 in, edition of 7 + 5 APs
100% of proceeds benefit Wassaic Project programming