RATxCHICKS

RATxCHICKS was a tableware project by artist Michelle Im, produced in Queens, New York, from 2017–2023. A play on the words “ratchet” and “rad chicks,” RATxCHICKS explored playful, absurdist themes inspired by New York City’s urban creatures, food culture, and fantasy.

Drawing from the history of Maiolica—an artisan ceramic tradition that emerged from Islamic techniques developed to imitate the aesthetics of Chinese porcelain—each piece was handbuilt in earthenware clay, decorated with stains and glazes informed by Maiolica painting technique, and fired to Cone 04 in an electric kiln.

Whimsical custom butter dishes became a signature form within the RATxCHICKS collection. The tableware line is no longer in production and will not be recreated, making each piece a unique artifact from a finite body of work.