Tammy Marinuzzi | Florida based artist

two panels 

Terra Cotta, low fired slips & glazes, fired to cone 05

each panel approx. 16.5" wide x 23" tall

Historically, the uterus was described as a wandering organ—an unruly part of the
female body believed to move around and cause illness, emotional distress, and
“hysteria.” Women’s bodies were often treated as something to be controlled, explained,
and corrected.

I began thinking about what would happen if the uterus really could wander—and, more
importantly, if it could decide where it wanted to go.

The work unfolds across two panels: one begins with the body, while the other points
outward toward places where women have fought for access, opportunity, and
autonomy. The ceramic uterus pins are meant to leave the body, be worn, and travel
wherever the wearer chooses.

The idea is playful, but the history behind it is not. The wandering uteruses can travel to
the bank, the school, the pharmacy, the workplace, the military, the voting booth, the
doctor’s office, and places connected to reproductive freedom. These are ordinary
places, but they carry a history of restrictions, exclusions, and decisions made for
women rather than by them.

I made this work for Fired Up: Voices of Resistance in Clay because the idea of being
fired up speaks to both the physical process of ceramics and the emotional energy of
resistance. Clay is transformed by heat, becoming something stronger and more
enduring. In the same way, resistance can transform anger, frustration, and restriction
into action.

The pins can leave the work and enter the world. The uterus is no longer where
someone else says it should be. It is activated, rebellious, and free to wander.
Take one. Wear it wherever you want. Let your uterus wander.