em irvin (they/them) is a performer who asks clay questions to consider kinds of encounters with clay, centering material agency to explore the liberatory possibilities of clay through its materiality. They think about porosity as a way to access and dismantle exclusionary boundaries, working to create inclusive disciplines, studios, and practices. They observe the clay-artist-body in-action and in-dialogue with clay material, which drives their research on the liberatory potential of clay.