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Artist Spotlight: M.O. Cherry
M.O. Cherry (he/him) is a multimedia artist working primarily in clay and sculpture, and member of VisArts’ Spring/Summer 2026 cohort of Studio Access Residents. Born and raised in Richmond, VA, the key themes explored in his work are practices of removal and censorship, global sculptural and craft histories, and navigating (in)visibility.
While he was working in the VisArts woodshop one afternoon in August, we chatted with M.O. about his relationship with materials like wood and clay, and his current works-in-progress.
VisArts: What was your first interaction with VisArts?
M.O.: My earliest memory would be building a massive papier-mâché tiger head during summer camp with the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond. It was my first time being able to work on such a tangible project and it stuck with me to this day.
What are you working on during your residency?
I’m using the residency to further my relationship with clay and wood as materials. I find that working with the material in mind rather than a set outcome leads me to more interesting aesthetic choices, and I hope to follow that line of thinking throughout the residency.
How were you drawn to sculpture and clay?
Clay and wood are featured across cultures and are used for a variety of reasons, from aesthetic to ritual use. By working with the same materials and techniques that have been used throughout human history, I hope to deepen my personal connection to the human story while allowing others to experience the same.
What are some of your sources of inspiration?
Thrift store ceramics, petroglyphs, spiders, underground comic books.
What are you hoping the viewer experiences when viewing your work?
There is more distance between you today and you yesterday than you and me today.
M.O. Cherry has a BA in Sociology, and this drives him to ask how the meaning of symbols and individual artistic actions are created and reinforced in material culture.
Learn more about M.O. + his work: ssttiill.substack.com
Interests and opinions expressed by artists-in-residence are their own. Learn more about VisArts’ organizational values and code of conduct.