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Olivia Eshe Holt (b. 1998) is a craft artist and designer from Detroit, Michigan. Her artistry spans from ceramic sculpture and art furniture to 3D modeling and spatial design. She earned a BFA in Product Design with a minor in Craft & Material Studies from the College for Creative Studies (CCS). Her work has been exhibited at the Main Detroit Public Library, Dairy Barn Arts Center, and the Wright Museum. Olivia recently was selected as the AOEE Grant recipient for the 2026 WomxnHouse Detroit Residency. She currently works in Art Education and as a Freelance Designer. 

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Selected Work
Crafted ObjectDigitally DesignedSpatial Installation

Cluttered Corners, 2026 
Bisque ceramics, cast concrete, and mix media installation 
121 items, dimensions varied 

Cluttered Corners examines the psychological reasonings behind collecting, hoarding, and sentimental attachment. This ephemeral art installation invites viewers to take notice of the objects that blend into our domestic spaces and asks what it is that we're holding on to? 

A specific moment in time, message, or sentiment. Reminders of our dreams and desires. Scraps with great potential and starting points. In between projects that have become incomplete tasks. Mountains of mementos and stacks of todos. Once cherished objects now useless trash. 

Sponsored by WomxnHouse Detroit Artist Residency

Currently on view at Irwin House Detroit during weekend open hours 12pm - 6pm until Oct. 31st




    Making Our Way To Midnight Triptych, 2026
    ceramic, wood, and glass mirror  
    25in W x 38in H, each

    Making Our Way To Midnight is a three part ceramic installation highlighting the rich history and ongoing transcendence of Black life in the city of Detroit. Utilizing handmade tiles, the work maps a visual narrative of familial ancestry during the Great Migration: from the post-Reconstruction South into Detroit, a destination for opportunity and beyond. 

    This work explores themes of celestial guidance, ancestral memory, and Black ingenuity, bridging back to enslaved labor. Each piece recounts Black American history and personal story, depicting interpretations of cultural landmarks, icons and African symbols in simple parts like faded memories written in the sky.

    Currently on view at the Main Detroit Public Library during open hours until Oct. 19th


      Making Our Way To Midnight Series, 2026
      ceramic and wood
      8in W x 11.5in H, each

      Making Our Way To Midnight reflects Black migration within the United States, centering Detroit giving cryptonym “Midnight”.  Each piece recounts Black American history, depicting interpretations of cultural icons and African symbols in simple parts like faded memories written in the sky.
       
      Titles are listed  from left to right:
      1.  Anchored
      2. Future Mirrors Past
      3. Railway

        Hidden Star: 2nd Iteration, 2026
        glazed stoneware 
        (wall sconce prototype)

        I am interested in blurring the lines between the purely aesthetic and the functional, exploring how the same symbolic language can inhabit both artwork and art object. Through my art practice I investigate how meaning shifts when a form is meant for contemplation versus when it is meant for use. This approach allows me to explore the versatility of clay as a medium that can carry both visual narrative and functional utility.

          Hidden Star, 2026
          glazed stoneware 

          Throughout African American culture there are historical instances of code names, secret symbols and patterns hidden in plain sight for the purpose of survival. “Follow the Drinking Gourd” is a famously known coded reference which was utilized within the Underground Railroad as a guide north to free states and Canada. The North Star remains to be a cultural symbol of freedom, hope, dreams and possibility. Hidden Star serves as a tangible reminder honoring the knowledge of our ancestors' secrets and collective resilience. A reminder to continue the journey towards a better tomorrow and better life. 


            Star Seeds, 2025
            glazed stoneware

            During the Appalachian Forest Stewardship Residency, I took on the mission of preserving nature trails and farmlands while learning about the hidden histories of the Midwest. Ohio's landscape played a key role in the operation and effectiveness of the Underground Railroad's safe houses and secret travel routes. There are records of free Black communities, white abolitionists, and Native American settlements along the Ohio River that aided freedom seekers prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. 

            Star Seeds commemorates this geography of historical resistance, memorializing foraged finds from my time spent hiking Ohio's Appalachian Front. This installation places interpretations of seeds as symbols of resilience and possibility in a guiding constellation of iron-like stars and charms referencing the usage of celestial navigation within the Underground Railroad.

            Dairy Barn Art Center Exhibition Statement 

              Urban Development Corporation Detroit, 2025

              Residential design concepts that highlight the area’s potential to help attract local partners, creative investment, and long-term community engagement.

              My impact: concept development, 3D visualization and renders

              Black Bottom: Triptych, 2025 
              glazed speckled buff clay

                Dust and Water, 2025
                Earthern Cement Scuplture

                Vessels built by my human hand, made of material from the earth, placed in the ecosystem of Eliza Howell Park. A quiet companions to the land serving as conduits for reconnection to nature and ourselves.

                Turquoise Gallery, 2024
                glazed speckled buff clay