Lucas Oakley
New York

Mixed media (vintage lunchbox, rhinestones, vinyl) and turntable
Non-functional
11.25"w x 4"l x 9.25"h

About the Teapot
As the grandson of Cedar Creek Gallery’s founders, Pat and Sid Oakley, I’ve loved the National Teapot Show for as long as I can remember. Some of my core memories are of wandering the gallery, staring at the teapots for hours, imagining the day I might be part of the show myself. This year—2026—that dream finally came true, and I’m honored to be included in the exhibition.
I knew immediately that I wanted my piece to pay homage to my family and to the roots that shaped my creativity. Sid Oakley—“Papa Sid,” as my sister and I called him—was a collector through and through. Not just any collector, but a hunter of Americana: neon signs, porcelain signs, and, most famously, lunchboxes. My dad, David, grew up at Cedar Creek surrounded by that world, tagging along with Sid on treasure hunts, and eventually building his own collection of vintage lunchboxes from the ’70s and ’80s.
A lunchbox teapot felt like the perfect tribute. Both Sid and David loved the show Hee Haw, so I used the show’s 1970 lunchbox as the foundation for my piece. I hand‑placed more than 6,000 crystals across the lunchbox, spout, and feet, added a custom “Oakley” title on one side, and finished it with a Lucas Oakley logo sticker on the back. It may not pour tea, but it still makes a great storage piece.
The Oakley love of logos runs deep, and it has shaped my own artistic path in countless ways. Creating this teapot allowed me to take an object that holds real meaning for my family and reinterpret it through my own lens. It’s a celebration of where I come from—and the creativity that continues to grow from it.

About the Artist
Lucas Oakley is a New York City-based artist whose work focuses on pop culture, consumerism, advertising, technology, spirituality, social media, and flaming homosexuality. Oakley uses high camp and sharp-witted concepts to create a compelling multiverse of madness that disrupts the current art and fashion industries that, all too often, take themselves way too seriously!

*Teapots that are purchased will remain on display in the gallery for the duration of the exhibition, through September 14, 2026.
After the show closes, teapots will be carefully packed and shipped by September 28, or they may be picked up at the gallery.