Artist Statement

We all start and end with the earth. As living beings, we have deep innate connections to the earth spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. On a microscopic level, all tangibles on this earth are made of intricate, unique, carefully crafted webs of cells. My work abstractly explores how these woven cellular and molecular structures connect our bodies to all that exists through the fundamental elements of creation, and how these relationships grow and develop as a function of time and life experience.

My pieces combine atomic web-like stoneware structures made from extruded coils with bodily wild clay vessels. Just as every physical body is unique, so too are the vessels; their waistlines, shoulders, and heads all vary in shape and size, while the markings on their skin further individualize them.

Many of these vessels underwent the same rigorous pit firing process, but they each emerged uniquely battered and bruised. Many of their bodies were cracked and damaged from the trauma of the heat, but their visible scars do not make them less whole. 

Each clay body, like the human body, requires a different level of sensitivity and touch. I have learned when to be delicate, and when to be firm. I have learned when to wait, and when to act. I have learned how to collaborate with the clay. 

This body of work appreciates the process over the product, as a lot of time is dedicated to collecting and processing wild clay using indigenous techniques. Throughout the numerous, time consuming stages of processing clay, I have come in contact with it in every form, which has deepened my connection to the medium and helped me discover the similarities between life and earth. 

My approach to building the stoneware structures is entirely improvisational. While building, I focus on the relationship between my body, the clay, and the earth. Our interactions warrant trust, patience, balance, and undivided attention. Any amount of distraction could lead to weak intersection points or unintended damage.

This series of work is intentionally ambiguous in terms of how the audience understands it. Everyone might see something different. Some people might not see anything. With these three-dimensional structures, every angle provides the viewer with a new visual experience, and along with that, a new mental and emotional experience. These sculptures are able to be positioned and seen in a variety of ways; they were crafted without designated orientations or interpretations. I know what these pieces mean to me, but my conceptualization of them is not objective. 

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