“Mayer has distinguished herself as one of the preeminent ceramicists in Texas, creating vital and powerful material histories of place. A dedicated educator, her work provides an aspirational model for the next generation of sculptors.” – juror Owen Duffy, Nancy C. Allen Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Asia Society Texas.

Anna Mayer uses ceramics—dirt that becomes stone-like once heated—to respond to colonial legacies in land use, archaeology, and 1960s-70s Land Art. Through projects that enact burial and recovery, she points to exploitative human behaviors. Mayer’s various materials include human-made artifacts, soft and hard minerals, and complex psychological states.


A 2023-24 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow, Mayer’s recent solo exhibitions include the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and the Jung Center (TX). Group exhibitions include Artpace (TX), Moody Center for the Arts (TX), Blaffer Art Museum (TX), Ballroom Marfa (TX), California Museum of Photography, and Los Angeles Nomadic Division. Mayer is currently in residence at the Galveston Artist Residency (TX).