Interactive Clay Sculptures - Student Art

Probably the most exciting pieces done in clay this year by my beginning ceramics students are these interactive clay sculptures. They are unbelievable in their complexity. The critical thinking that went into the planning of the designs was crucial to the pieces outcome. They had to move in some way for the final glaze grade. It could be by way of a lidded container, a hinged box, a mobile, or a fan that opened and closed such as the piece below that belongs to senior Cynthia Tsai. They also had to make extra bead and button embellishments out of clay to be strung after the gaze firing. They were also encouraged to use additional embellishments such as wire, twigs, regular beads and buttons, anything that would flow visually with their glaze colors. Cynthia went all out on her piece and it's breathtaking in person. A real show stopper.

This magnificent piece belongs to senior Caroline Ma. Love the fish scales and the waves and how they are made in both clay and in wire. Then look how she took extra time and trouble to mount the piece. She is such a pleasure to work with. She has decided to go back east to school. Parsons in New York has offered her a very nice sized scholarship based on her amazing portfolio. Way to go Caroline. I'm gonna miss you so much!!

These were two of my favorites. On the left is junior Steven Ebalobor, and the one on the right belongs to senior Eaning Woo. Steven's piece is a lidded container and Eaning's interactive part is that one arm moves on a hinge. Clever pieces you two!

This piece belongs to senior Rikaya Obilo. It's a deflating hot air balloon that's being held in the palm of a hand. At the left end is a hinged trap door that is open in the pix. This is such a cool piece in person. Very sculptural and well thought out.

Everyone loved this piece as junior Wayne Chen was building it. And it got even more wonderful after he glazed it and added the wire strings.

Isn't this a gorgeous piece! It belongs to senior Karleigh Mercado, and the interactive part is that the poncho can be pulled off and then back on again.

Love how junior Lihan Woo designed his so that it reads as an abstracted face. And then used many great embellishments to pull it all together. Brilliant work Lihan!

Senior Milly Shah's solution to this interactive problem was to make wind chimes. They have the most lovely sound and I really liked how she stained the top piece.

This is senior Esther Park's lidded container. The top most petal is hinged onto the main base of the flower. It's a large piece and one of the most difficult constructions of the entire bunch, so congrats Esther on pulling this puppy off!

A close-up of Esther's piece. Look at how she has incorporated wire after the glaze firing. The nails went in at the time she was building the piece and went through all the firings which blackened them a little and gave them a bit of a mottled appearance.