"I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.

“I prefer art to be disturbing– its more fun making it” says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.

“There were artists that had epilepsy, but there wasn’t anyone who had specific pieces about their experiences with epilepsy,” she recalls. That realization became a turning point. If no one else was making the work she needed to see, she would be the one to create it. 

Boatright’s journey into the arts was not a straightforward one—she started out as a Pre-Med major at University of West Georgia before switching to general Fine Arts during her freshman year, with a minor in psychology. Her aim was to become an art therapist but was then when she was diagnosed with epilepsy at 22, things changed again.

“I fell in love with working with metal and doing 3D work, but sculpture was really intense for me,” Boatright, who lives in Newnan, explained. “Then I took a ceramics class, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do.'”

This experience led her to change her major once again, now to Ceramics with a concentration in different surface techniques and glaze studies which she got after graduating in 2023. 

What really drew Boatright to the medium was the unpredictable, ever-changing nature of the process. During her first ceramics critique her professor crushed every students’ vase before firing, explaining that if they were to continue with ceramics they would have to understand that nothing is permanent. “Even when it’s fully finished, it can break and turn into something new or turn into dust. But every single process — it’s vulnerable and always changing and I like that.” 

This sense of undefined and vulnerability has become a central theme in Boatright’s work, particularly in her senior art show Brain Fog. For most people, ‘Brain Fog’ is a passing phrase— a moment of forgetfulness, a lapse in concentration while sick or sleep deprived. Yet for Boatright, it’s something that she’s had to deal with often in her personal life.

"I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.

The installation features a wall full of eyes, all staring out at the audience, as well as a multitude of organoids. “A lot of my work is visceral and gross because I think we need more of that and its more fun to do that — I prefer it to be disturbing.”

Boatright connects the repetition of eyes to her experiences of people incessantly keeping an eye on her, “I want the viewer to experience that feeling of constantly being watched and studied,” she explains. “When I tell people I have epilepsy they become worried, and are always watching me. Everyone’s constantly concerned about me, there’s voyeurism in that. I feel infantilized and constantly studied.” She mentioned another reason for the multiples, “It affects the way I see — my vision blurs and I get double vision, things even change colors.”

"I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.

When it comes to artistic processes Boatright doesn’t make drafts or sketches and just follows her heart when it comes to her ceramic pieces. “Everything I do comes organically. I’m not working towards an outcome- I’m working with my process so my work is definitely more abstract than figurative.” 

Boatright’s work stands out not only for its conceptual depth but also for its technical mastery. One of her most ambitious pieces is a large, coil-built porcelain “brain table”. It took about six months just for the porcelain dry. “Everyone thought it was going to break, except for me,” she says proudly. “I had to put it in a gas kiln and manually fire it for 12 hours, but it stayed together the entire time.” 

As Boatright looks to the future, she is eager to continue sharing her unique perspective and pushing the boundaries of what ceramic art can achieve. “I want there to be more art about epilepsy,” she says. “There’s not even a lot of research about it, and it’s super common. I want to do something that’s not from a boring, sterile medical perception, but from a camp and fun view!”

  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
  • "I prefer art to be disturbing-- its more fun making it" says Emily Boatright who never planned to make art about epilepsy. She was just looking for inspiration—an artist who had explored the condition in their work, but search after search came up empty.
Katya Ozerkov is an outgoing content strategist at The Georgia Sun. Despite not being a native Georgian, she has immersed herself in Georgia's vibrant arts scene for several years. As an artist first and foremost, she is passionate about interacting with and fostering connections with artists in the Greater Atlanta metro area and building a supportive creative community.
Katya Ozerkov

Katya Ozerkov is an outgoing content strategist at The Georgia Sun. Despite not being a native Georgian, she has immersed herself in Georgia's vibrant arts scene for several years. As an artist first and foremost, she is passionate about interacting with and fostering connections with artists in the Greater Atlanta metro area and building a supportive creative community.