Ceramic and Mixed Media

Artist Statement

I use the boat or vessel as a symbol for life's journey and as a metaphor for self. Each piece holds a story, hidden in the materials, in the marks of my hand, in the clay I shape, in the words inscribed in the clay or plexiglass or written on gut and paper, in the branches pruned and peeled from my pear tree, in the abandoned lead tire weights collected on urban walks, in broken glass transformed by wood fire into beauty again. Each material and process brings its own limitations and history, enriching the personality of a piece.

Life is a constant journey of balancing and rebalancing. This work is about motion and stillness, balance and counter balance, of soft and hard materials, of delicate and strong, mass versus line, 2D verses 3D, stillness versus movement, large versus small and heavy versus light. Each piece has a place of equilibrium, where the elements achieve a place of equipoise, poised to move again, yet for a moment at rest. Movement inspires a sense of levity and of possibility; even implied movement can elevate or shift one's mood. These pieces strive to impart possibilities, movement and balance even if momentary. My art serves as ballast and anchors my life. I create it as an antidote to the hectic craziness of the modern world we live in.

Contact: heatherhietala@gmail.com