Finding Belonging and Reclaiming Space | Roberto Lugo | TEDxPenn

Potter, educator, and poet Roberto Lugo shared his experience with racism and how he used his art to find belonging and reclaim space. Roberto Lugo is a Philadelphia-based artist, social activist, poet, and educator. Lugo utilizes traditional ceramic techniques in conjunction with portraiture and surface design reminiscent of his Kensington upbringing and Hip Hop culture to highlight themes of poverty, inequality, and racial injustice. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 2019 Pew Fellowship, a Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize, and a US Artist Award. Lugo's work is found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The High Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Brooklyn Museum, Walters Art Museum, and more. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, PA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx