Roberto Lugo is a Philadelphia-based artist, ceramicist, social activist, poet, and educator. Lugo utilizes classical pottery forms in conjunction with portraiture and surface design reminiscent of his North Philadelphia upbringing and Hip Hop culture to highlight themes of poverty, inequality, and racial injustice. Lugo’s works utilize traditional European and Asian ceramic techniques reimagined with a 21st-century street sensibility. His work has been featured in exhibitions at or is in the permanent collections of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and more. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Heinz Award, Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures award, and a Pew Fellowship.
