In this intimate ceramic exhibition, ceramic artist Rebecca Graham transforms family history into a shared, tangible space. Drawing on her lineage in Seagrove, North Carolina—where generations of potters shaped both clay and community—Graham reconstructs the lost story of her great-grandmother, Mary Emmaline Luck. Through a series of functional, wheel-thrown wares arranged as a family dining table circa 1953, she offers a glimpse into the life Mary Emmaline deserved but never received.

Each vessel, plate, and serving piece becomes an act of remembrance: a reimagined moment where Mary Emmaline sits safely at the head of the table, surrounded by all eight of her children. The installation honors the quiet strength of maternal ancestors whose stories often remain untold, and it invites viewers to consider how family histories are carried, obscured, and revived across generations. Rebecca’s nature-inspired aesthetic softens the weight of the narrative, grounding it in the warmth of shared meals and the enduring connection between pottery, food, and family.

Rooted in the folk traditions of Seagrove and crafted with intention, this exhibition breathes life into a history fragmented by adoption, separation, and loss. Through clay, Rebecca bridges past and present—offering not only a tribute to Mary Emmaline Luck, but an imagined moment of peace, safety, and belonging for the woman whose story shaped her own.