about fat girl hoopla

Emily Farris, also known as Fat Girl Hoopla, is a ceramic and fiber artist who makes colorful sculptural and functional work in response to how societal norms and pressures impact their self perception. 

Farris began pottery in April 2021 at a local studio and learned how to weave and crochet online. In need of escape, community, and joy, Farris turned to these new mediums as a means of managing mental illness while working a corporate job. The world is often horrible and as a response, Farris searched for childhood whimsy by creating work that’s silly and allows freedom. As a fat person, Farris spent the majority of her life being made to feel ugly and rejected, which informs the creatures and forms she makes: an exploration of identity. Utilizing underglaze on stoneware clay and a variety of yarn in a process that feels mostly intuitive, some pieces may adorn a very lengthy tongue, while others have seven noses, 15 eyeballs, or a stylish, new, out-of-this-world hair style. These nontraditional features are highlighted with color and texture — they aren’t meant to be hidden, and they refuse to apologize for themselves and the space they will continue to take up. They are confident in a way Farris strives to be, and as a means of encouraging others to feel so as well.