My current studio practice tests the structural limits of porcelain, a notoriously demanding material, by combining traditional hand-building techniques with an innovative mixed-media approach. By stepping away from the immediate results offered by the wheel thrown, I deliberately slow down my process. Hand-building requires a tremendous investment of time and patience, especially with porcelain; it allows me to establish an intimate dialogue with the clay, shaping organic, sculptural forms that evoke the natural world.
In this innovative group of sculptures, I coat carved, textured surfaces with a classic celadon glaze. After firing at Cone 10 temperatures in reduction atmosphere, this iron-rich, translucent glaze pools beautifully across the forms, imparting a vibrant jade-green hue that evokes timeless beauty.
The culmination of this experimentation is the installation titled “You Will Be Loved”. In it, the pristine nature of fired porcelain intertwines with the unexpected textures of found objects. I incorporate repurposed feathers, meticulously hand-stitched onto fabric ribbons and attached to the piece, which flutter subtly in the surrounding breeze; alongside, nostalgia-laden objects sourced from flea markets.
Bridging the past and the present with the used elements, these hybrid sculptures evoke a profound sense of sentimental urgency. Ultimately, “You Will Be Loved” functions as an environmental monument, utilizing the delicate fragility of porcelain and organic remnants of flora and fauna to awaken a vital awareness regarding the current climate crisis.
Photos: Joel Benjamin