EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD
 
Porcelain, red stoneware, glaze
H 1.125 inches W 4.25 inches D 4.25 inches
2025
 
This piece emerges from my fascination with opposing forces coexisting— softness and grit, refinement and ruggedness. The form is a toroid composed of two radically different clay bodies: a soft white porcelain and a red stoneware rich with grog. Marbled together, they converge and diverge across the surface, intertwining yet never fully blending. Each retains its own identity, its own gravity.
 
Working with such contrasting materials demands patience and precision. Porcelain asks for delicacy and control; the red stoneware is capable of staining everything it touches. The challenge lies in understanding their individual specifications, coaxing them into harmony, ensuring that their properties would not create fractures during firing. Careful trimming, intentional handling, and disciplined restraint are essential to preserve the crispness of the porcelain and the integrity of the stoneware within their shared body.
 
The final layer of complexity comes through the Raku firing. After coating the surface in a clear glaze, the piece is heated to a glowing red and then swiftly removed from the kiln, placed into combustible materials that ignite and smoke. As the glaze cools and cracks, smoke seeps into the fissures and becomes permanently sealed within them. The result is a delicate constellation of black veining that traces across the donut’s surface — evidence of heat, transformation, and surrender to chance.