Water Jar

Joanna Blackburn is an Oklahoma-based sculptor and ceramicist from the Chickasaw Nation. Her work is inspired by early tribal culture and ancient designs of the southeast. She combines these design elements with contemporary, personal motifs.

My goal is to create new life into our ancient ancestor’s designs and make them relevant to today. I believe it’s possible to tell our cultural stories and share our tribal family values in a modern context and make a connection to others through our art.

Joanna Blackburn

Blackburn found inspiration for this sculpture in the clay “water jars” her ancestors used to carry water. She first made a ceramic water jar using the traditional coil technique. She stacked coiled pieces of clay to build a basic pot. Then she smoothed the textures by hand, adding sculptural details and decorative designs. When the ceramic water jar was complete, she created a bronze version of it. 

This sculpture features a woman’s head, in honor of the Chickasaw Nation’s matrilineal society. Like many southeastern tribes, the Chickasaw Nation traditionally followed a matrilineal system of family descent. Matrilineal systems trace family lineage through the mother. This means that daughters inherit property and family names from their mothers. Most Western cultures follow a patrilineal system. Patrilineal systems trace lineage through the father, with sons inheriting property and family names from their fathers. 

Water Jar also features a Loksi design. Loksi is the Chickasaw word for turtle. In Chickasaw culture the turtle is a symbol of wisdom and strength.

The Chickasaw Nation descends from an Indigenous population in the southeastern United States, including parts of present-day Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Chickasaw Nation headquarters is located in Ada, Oklahoma.