Olivia Eshe HoltCV Contact  Instagram   YouTube 

             


Olivia Eshe Holt (b. 1998) is a visual artist and designer from Detroit, Michigan. Her artistry spans from traditional crafting techniques in ceramics 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 and currently works in Art Education and as a Freelance Designer. 

Join her studio mailing list for early access to artwork sales, exhibition announcements, and professional design services.





Selected Work
Crafted ObjectDigitally DesignedSpatial Installation

Hidden Star: second iteration
glazed stoneware. 2026 
(working 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
    glazed stoneware. 2026 
    (working prototype)

    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
      glazed stoneware. 2025 

      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

        Tan Triptych
        glazed speckled buff clay. 2025

          Dust and Water
          Earthern Cement Scuplture. 2025

          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
          glazed speckled buff clay. 2024

            Marina 
            Speckled buff clay. black underglaze slip, pearl and livid lake glaze. 2024

            My sweet blue Marina
            She reflects the light and shadow.

              Block Forms
              Brown Terra Cotta. 2024

              Electricfy Expo
              Lexus USA. 2023

              This booths modular architecture  utilizes a simple structure providing an open space for programming with easy deployment. It features interchangeable walls and rails for custom display.

              Highlighting the next chapter of Lexus through display of campaign graphics, programmed activations and an engaging environmental application.

              My impact: modular structure design, vehicle layout, 3D visualization and renders