The Massillon Museum’s Studio M will exhibit Through the Looking Glass, porcelain sculpture by Ohio-based artist Kimberly Chapman, from September 21 through November 3. Chapman explores the lives of fiercely independent women who lived on the fringes of society. Tiger trainer Mabel Stark and sideshow performers Myrtle Corbin and Kittie Smith are among the women portrayed in the Studio M exhibition. 

Chapman focuses on what women endure—including mental asylum abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and shaming. She considers herself a feminist artist creating artwork to amplify women's issues.  Using porcelain—the treasured material of emperors and kings—she sheds light on dark subjects.  She employs hand-building, slip-casting, and press-molding techniques, then uses a clear glaze and luster to avoid obscuring the essence of the clay’s natural beauty.

A free public reception for Chapman will be held on Saturday, November 2, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., and a MassMusings podcast interview with her will be posted at 12:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, October 23, on the MassMu’s website and Spotify.

Kimberly Chapman, Welcome to the Asylum, porcelain, glaze, photography, resin, 2024

Kimberly Chapman, Tiger Trainer Mabel Stark (1889-1968), porcelain, glaze, luster, fur, ribbon, 2023