Lucas Pincer-Flynn is an artist native to Pernambuco, Brazil, currently living in Los Angeles. As a child, Lucas learned visual art techniques from their father, including charcoal drawing and oil painting. While helping their grandmother, Maria Clenia, decorate a birthday cake, Lucas learned from their grandfather, Nerivaldo, how to sculpt from sugar.. While the opportunity to work with clay was limited in their home city, Lucas was still able to learn how to make small animal sculptures and take part in the family’s native craft traditions originating from the vibrant city of Caruaru.
By 2016 Lucas moved to Los Angeles, where they developed methods for working with clay rooted in their indigenous traditions learned from Nerivaldo, with clay as an instrument of wordless storytelling guided by the body’s own memory. Since then, Lucas has taken part at the Better Together artist residency at Penland School of Craft, giving them the opportunity to further learn ceramic techniques through exploration and peer learning.
Currently, Lucas is developing a body of work focusing on their conflicted ancestries and retelling personal and family memories in clay. The artist takes part in monthly shows at Giant Robot in Sawtelle and teaches beginning and intermediate level classes in Santa Monica.
I am a sculptor and ceramic artist native to Pernambuco, in Brazil, currently living in Los Angeles. My art practice is a ritual to connect with myself, my culture, the land and my ancestors.
I am imagining and building ritual objects and portraits of moments in time of the Kingdom of Abya Yala.
Abya Yala (from the Guna language: 'Abiayala', meaning "land in its full maturity", "land of lifeblood", or "noble land that welcomes all") is one of the native given names of the continent generally known as America. I reject the fragmentation of this continent implemented by the European colonizers, and believe it is imperative that the land is cared for as one, under the guidance of its many native peoples. I call “The Kingdom of Abya Yala” the future of the land as it heals from colonization and is rebuilt by natives and african descendants in harmony with nature.
Storytelling is the driving motivation of each piece I make, whether they portray a narrative or a feeling. As a non-binary trans person, I find it urgent to embrace the inevitability of transitions, in any shape they take, as an inherent aspect of self exploration. Queerness has always been present and celebrated in pre-columbian times, and I aim to represent, honor and remember queer people and our stories.