Roberto Lugo is redefining the world of pottery. Since the early 2000s, the Philadelphia-based artist has merged art and activism by weaving contemporary stories of oppression into the time-honored techniques of ancient Greek vase-making. His pottery wheel bears the message, “This machine kills hate.” Growing up in North Philadelphia, Lugo was inspired by his family members as well as historical and pop-culture figures that were cherished in his community, from Sojourner Truth to The Notorious BIG. But he soon realized these people were absent from the artwork and luxury goods he encountered outside of his neighborhood. In response, Lugo began to incorporate graffiti and portraiture into pottery, introducing narratives of inequality and racism into storytelling and scenes from antiquity. His latest exhibition presents these pieces alongside ancient vessels from the Princeton University Art Museum’s collection. —Jeanne Malle