E. Saffronia Downing (b. 1992) works with clay to map material residues across time and place. She received her BA in Studio Art from Hampshire College and her MFA in Ceramics from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Downing forages local material to create site-specific installation and sculpture. She is the co-creator of the digital pubication Viral Ecologies. She currently teaches in the sculpture department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Downing is the recipient of awards and residencies such as the Oxbow School of Art Fellowship, ACRE Residency, and Salem Art Works Studio Artist Residency. Her work was recently featured in the Fall 2019 Setouchi Triennial in Japan. She has also exhibited nationally at numerous across the country.