Liberia & USA Final Review
Ryan Ferguson and 3 OthersMeliah NelsonOrion Orozco
Nate Davis + Privacy: Public
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LIBERIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MELIAH + ORION + NATE
POLITICS ON YOUR PLATE II | WINTER 2026
PROJECT STATEMENT
Liberia and the U.S. have deeply intertwining connections and history, although it goes unnoticed. The importance of such history is communicated by our group's ceramic pieces that have parts that physically move. Our project is intended to leave the consumer with a message communicating the need for social justice. We hope through pottery, it helps educate the audience about the identifies of people who were erased from history. As well as the connection between American and Liberia food's.
FOOD RITUAL - Dry Rice and Washing Day
CRAFT TRADITION
Dry rice and washing day is a sacred tradition, done only on Saturdays, where families spend their Saturdays cleaning, washing clothes, and cooking dry rice.
The design style and language of Liberia usually consists of mask making, woodcarving, and pottery. Art in Liberia is used to tell stories regarding cultural heritage, a story the artist wishes to tell. The details are intricate with meaningful stories behind it.
CULTURAL RESEARCH
LIBERIA
FOOD RITUAL
CRAFT TRADITION
- Fourth of July party national holiday celebrations. Festive with flags and fireworks people often eat BBQ and food truck food and other party snacks. Around $675 million dollars will be spent by consumers for fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Fourth of july arts and crafts are often done as decorations maintaining the red white and blue color scheme.
CULTURAL RESEARCH
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
LIBERIA
USA
- Extremely colorful and vibrant
- Highlights how Liberia's art is connected and meant to represent cultural heritage.
Functional art and sustainability
- Natural Buety Early american pottery "Arts and cafts like" hand made
- innovative Fusion food acessability
with Casual dining
Do You Know How Hard It Is To Get A Black Man Through High School?
Robert Lugo
This Piece highlights
need for structural racial justice change
speckled
technique
APPETIZER
FUFU fish dumplings
This dish is the first part of the three being centered around a mish mash of the two foods. Incased in the Liberian FUFU is the dumpling filling. American fried cod representing the departure across the Atlantic sea. the greens were
representing the Liberian cooking that was taken overseas to America during this period as it is very traditional from what was on Liberian land
APPETIZER
PROTOTYPES
This Prototype demonstrates the mobility for the interactive piece of the concept I had. I wanted to have the piece represent a boat rocking motion. The dumplings will go on top of the stand part that moves. The concept comes from the transAtlantic slave trade boats.
Digital Model
3D Printed Positive
Plaster Mold
Ceramic Cast
APPETIZER
FABRICATION
not yet started
ENTREE
Combining the flavors of palm butter, a traditional Liberian dish which serves as a supporting stew. With fried chicken from America. Palm butter, enhancing the flavors around it represents the strong African roots of Liberia despite being founded by Americans. It is used for the breading and marination of the fried chicken.
All of this is contrasted with a palm butter hot sauce, showing the violent founding of Liberia which involved the mistreatment of natives. A spice mix is prepared with traditional southern spices, this is combined with buttermilk and palm butter to create our brine. After the chicken is brined it is breaded with a flour, spice, palm butter mix. Finally after being deep fried and then baked, the chicken is ready to be dipped into the hot sauce.
This dish is primarily about how Liberia and USA cuisine connect. Representing how strong African roots of Liberia are still being represented despite still having a american foundation.
PALM BUTTER FRIED CHICKEN
SKETCH -
PALM BUTTER FRIED CHICKEN
ENTREE
PROTOTYPES
Digital Model
3D Printed Positive
Plaster Mold
Ceramic Cast
ENTREE
FABRICATION
NOT YET COMPLETED
DESSERT
When Italians arrived in Brazil in the late 19th century, they were originally separated from the Brazilians that lived there. Italians were usually placed on coffee plantations as contract laborers. They lived in separate housing on the farms, often separated from native Brazilian workers or landowners. Italians also spoke a different language, which limited social interaction with native Brazilians.
Pao De Queijo originates in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The cheesy bread balls are often served as a street food. Pesto Pao De Queijo is a mix of these bread balls and Italian pesto. This fusion is meant to represent the immigration of Italians to Brazil, where the Italians were separated from the Brazilians and not mixed in. To show this, we made the Pesto Pao De Queijo where the pesto is separated from the bread and not mixed in.
DESSERT
PROTOTYPES
Part 1
Appetizer
Part 2
Entree
MOLD DIAGRAMS
USE DIAGRAM
Sauce dripped through lines and overflows
COMPLETE SET
ENTREE
Appatizer
NEXT STEPS
Slip-cast and print the remaining parts
Paint and assemble ceramic casts
Add to portfolio or open inovation/capstone
1
2
3
THANK YOU!
Any questions?
Sources
Nate:
https://thefordhamram.com/opinion/fusion-foods-appropriation-or-appreciation/
https://www.craftinamerica.org/object/roberto-lugo-do-you-know-how-hard-it-is-to-get-a-black-man-through-high-school-2019/
https://www.chipstone.org/article.php/4/Ceramics-in-America-2001/Magical,-Mythical,-Practical,-and-Sublime:-The-Meanings-and-Uses-of-Ceramics-in-America
https://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/area/functional-art-creation/resource/1/