The enchanting mystique of New Orleans can captivate the sternest of souls. It is the rich history, the eclectic food, and the ultimate hearty art scene that makes this city a jewel of the American South. Aurora is a creative gem in this magical place.

An art therapist by trade and an artist by heart, Aurora Gabrielle Daigle uses ceramics to communicate her energy, self, and political activism. Her understanding of art as a way to channel your emotions brings out the most unique pieces that elevate femininity, ancestral culture, and an intersectional approach to civic engagement. Beyond coiling ceramics, Aurora also works with paper and prints.

Talking with Aurora for the first time was a privilege that I will hold in my heart, as it is always exciting to witness the emergent beginning of an artist’s journey into the editorial space. As calming as her voice and poise, her ceramic work gently yet strikingly make an impact on the viewer’s eyes, through important messages that speak to not only the individual, but also to a whole open-minded audience.

Let’s start with your background. You’re a multi-faceted artist from NOLA, where did you go to school and how did you mold your artistic journey?

When I was younger, while in high school, I attended NOCCA, a creative art school. This is where I first got introduced to ceramics, through an English professor whose accent was so soothing. She was very cool. After graduation I went to the San Francisco Art Institute in the Bay Area (now closed), one of the oldest art schools in the West Coast. I had a great time there, learning about so many different artists and getting inspired by them. Then I went to grad school at Pratt in New York, where I studied Creative Arts Therapy (MA).

Burnt cedar sauna. Available for purchase at @auroragabrielleceramics.

There is a myriad of mediums you can get inspired by to treat your clients through art therapy. What’s your experience with ceramics related to art therapy?

Ceramics has played a major role in my journey into art therapy because it allows such beautiful tactile engagement and mindfulness. It feels that there’s always a “push and pull”, almost a sort of “conversation” that you might have with a therapist and also a body of clay. There are lots of energy outputs and cathartic release. I realized how much energy and emotion I could channel into it or release through it. I always had these big creative ideas and through clay I learned that they could take up 3D space in the world. That realization was an important moment for me as an introverted woman. It helped me speak and articulate parts of my experience in ways I didn’t know that I could. Clay has taught me a lot; it gave me the agency I needed to speak up and reclaim my voice so it’s one of my preferred mediums. Everyone is different and different art mediums behave in different ways, have different personalities. Just like picking out a good therapist you have to explore, experiment and find what you need and what suits you. And sometimes what you didn’t even know you needed finds you.

How do you stay grounded and master mindfulness while building a workpiece of ceramics?

Working with ceramics is a very intimate interaction with clay, as you can see this living hunk of mud that is holding water, just like our bodies. The more this piece of mud is out of in the air, the more it loses water. You have then the element of time, which makes your piece of clay brittle, dry, and so more and on. Your hands absorb the water and there’s a lot of science going on behind the scene. Reflecting on how the medium behaves and how I want to build it based on how I see it pushes you to be mindful and stay in the present moment.

Clawfoot bath and lions in the park behind a chain link fence. Available via @auroragabrielleceramics

As spontaneous as your pieces seem, there’s an authentic intention behind each piece. How do you set intentions in your art?

My intentions lay on a dimension around myself and this personal creativity that I seek to go back. Anytime I work with clay I want to go back to this space that is “ancient”, a world that I create in my mind. What can I add in this world with my time and talent? What does this world need from me in this moment? It’s like a parallel between how am I coping with the world that we exist in now and how can I build another one with the things that I and my community need to thrive. Stories, history, significances matter in my mind. It feels like a ritual to go back to this place.

Some of your art blissfully captures Black joy, female liberation, and ancestral femininity too. How do you achieve that?

Growing up in a city like New Orleans, I’ve become an active observer of what makes this city so vibrant. Black joy is the foundation of New Orleans. I think that this is reflected a lot in my pieces. When I was in the Bay Area for college I observed lots of gentrification happening in areas that are historically Afro-Latine. I spent a lot of times in getting to know these areas, their murals, music, food. I also lived in Berkeley, right around the corner where one of the first Black Panthers (Bobby Seale) went to high school Berkely High School).

The relationship between women and clay goes way back, spanning many cultures, histories, and symbolic dimensions.The clay objects and sculptures created by women, whether for function or artistry, hold profound cultural and spiritual significance. Women have historically used clay as a medium not only for artistic expression but also as a means of nurturing and shaping their communities, embedding their experiences and values into this ancient craft. I revere these women, their work, and the role they have held.

In molding the clay, they reflect their ability to shape and sustain their communities, transforming this malleable material into symbols of autonomy, storytelling, and preservation. Clay for many women signifies resilience and adaptability, qualities that resonate with their struggles and triumphs. This legacy inspires me to slow down and hand-build, resisting the pressures of capitalist consumer culture. I continue to ask myself what culture I live by, recreate, and support in my everyday actions, recognizing that so much of that is rooted in female liberation. Through my practice, I honor this rich tradition and strive to align my actions with values that transcend mere consumption, embracing a deeper connection to the art and heritage of those who came before me.

How can we support your art and journey?

I’m at the very beginning. So far I only have my Instagram page, but you can also check out my website soon. I hope that will showcase a lot more and I’m excited for that.