As an established photo-based artist, I turned to ceramics during the pandemic as an antidote to digital fatigue. The tactile process of working with clay offered a grounding contrast to the virtual world. My earliest ceramic forms drew inspiration from the floating fabric sculptures featured in my site-specific desert photographic series, Hado.

My deep connection to the natural world, especially the southwest deserts—once ancient oceans—continues to shape my work. Through both imagery and sculpture, I explore a transcendent relationship with desert nature, capturing not only the contemporary landscape but also the deep-time history embedded in it. I reflect on a desert that once teemed with marine life, where remnants like seashells and barnacles hint at the past.

Scientific studies have shown that various neural systems are linked to our spiritual connection with nature, whether in a religious or broader context. For me, nature represents a state of innocence and mystical sublimity, echoing the paradise myth with its cycles of renewal and regeneration. Transformation and interconnectedness flow through all my work, and this is especially evident in my ceramics.

Working with clay feels like a form of drawing. With a thematic structure in mind, I allow the forms to evolve organically, embracing the interplay of shapes and textures. These elements come together to create a visual language of metamorphosis, capturing both fluidity and stillness in the context of form, light, and space.

-RW 2024