Included in the MFA Thesis Exhibition, Found & Lost, at the
University of Nevada Reno at Lake Tahoe (2023)
What Remains (2023) is a ceramic vessel made from reclaimed clay incorporating both precious and discarded materials (hair, sand, paper, metal, rocks, spent and fired kiln matter, cremains, fireplace ash, wild clay, shells), which have been coil-built into a form representing a seed pod, papaver somniferum or bread poppy. The combination of materials gathered from the studio and my home reflect the intertwining, layering, and sometimes, confusion between materials research and personal narrative. Born out of a need to create a ritual object, this work represents the connection between the process of firing a kiln and the spiritual realm, using the transformative and creative power of the firing process along with the belief that vessels can be objects for spiritual presence and significance.
