An East Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native, Roberto Lugo’s art encapsulates the larger scope of his activist philosophy. A poet, rapper, graffiti-artist, ceramic professor, and self-described 'ghetto-potter,' Lugo’s ceramic work serves as a first-person narrative to illustrate the history of inequality, racism, and Puerto Rican culture. Lugo juxtaposes different styles and cultures within his hand-printed pottery to outline and reframe historical ideas of ceramic patterns and motifs. Infusing elements of politics, graffiti, and hip-hop culture within his pottery, along with the classical forms of Greek pottery and the traditional blue and white colours of Asian ceramics, Lugo bends the conversation of his work to incorporate his vision of himself as a channel to link people from underrepresented communities to be in the conversation of the arts. In approaching the history of ceramics to illustrate his belief that art can 'find unity in the world within which we exist', Lugo’s work branches into global-minded activism. Lugo’s embossed portraits on large porcelain may depict not only the hardships of inequality, but also aim to celebrate the activists, artists, and leaders who fight against such hardship. His ever growing body of studio work that includes graffiti, pottery, and large, detailed, graffiti-laced ceramics has garnered him a powerful voice, platform, and aesthetic within contemporary art. He has exhibited internationally and had individual shows at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams; High Museum of Art, Atlanta and The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.