Russell M. Hamilton

Research

 

My research examines how global histories of movement and exchange shape cultural identity, memory, and the ways people navigate place. I am particularly interested in how materials and structures carry memory and reflect histories of migration, exchange, and transformation.

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I work with textile, wood, steel, glass, paint, and found or industrial materials, allowing their properties to inform the development of each work. My current research expands this material inquiry through the incorporation of ceramics, exploring its capacity to interact with other materials both in the firing process and through post-firing interventions. I am especially interested in how ceramics can function as a connective material, bridging structural and surface-based approaches within the work.

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I continue to develop this line of inquiry through access to ceramics facilities, including kilns and wet studio environments, as I integrate these processes more fully into my practice.

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My research directly informs my teaching. In the classroom, I encourage students to engage materials through experimentation and critical inquiry, developing an understanding of both process and concept.