Ceramics and sculpture take center stage in Lewis Rifkowitz solo show

 By Ron Rocky Coloma

For more than three decades, Lewis Rifkowitz has shaped clay in a classroom studio at the University of Guam. Now, he is shaping something more reflective.

His latest solo exhibition brings together work spanning 30 years. It is not officially a retrospective, but Rifkowitz said it feels like a pause.

Lewis Rifkowtiz

“This show represents a moment of self-reflection as a person and as an artist,” he said. “The exhibition is composed of works that span 30 years of creativity and object making. While not officially a retrospective, there are works that I have chosen to exhibit because they have not been seen before. I am looking for the connections. I feel they might offer insights into my current artwork.”

Rifkowitz’s ceramics are known for their color and movement. He sums up the energy behind them in one word.

“Play,” he said. “Everything that I do creatively starts with a feeling of mindful instinct. I try to free my conscious mind of preconceived ideas and work at the process at hand. I give myself over to the materials, the process and just attempt to play.”

Guam has also shaped his voice. Rifkowitz has lived on the island for more than 36 years.

“The tropical island of Guam has been my home for more than 36 years,” he said. “The weather, the ocean, the physical environment, the many diverse cultures that reside here and the CHamoru mythos are all instigators in my visual language and artistic voice.”

As a 3D artist, he is drawn to what he calls “space.” Sculpture, he said, asks how people live in and move through space. Clay remains central to that exploration.

“Clay is an addiction for me,” he said.

After decades of teaching courses from “Introduction to Art” to “Advanced Ceramics and Sculpture,” Rifkowitz said his time as a professor “totally influenced” his practice. Teaching kept him current, from the shift to computers to the rise of artificial intelligence.

Asked what he hopes viewers take away, his answer is simple. “Joy, happiness, a sense of discovery and questions. This will work to start a dialog concerning the art.”

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