Working with clay, fabric and paper, American sculptor Heather Allen Hietala evokes the idea of journey through time. The clay pieces – recently on show at Oeno Gallery in Prince Edward County, Ontario – are inscribed and glazed.
This clay vessel signifying a journey is Possibility (above – Ceramic 2023, 9 × 19.5 × 5.5 in). It features a glazed indigo blue exterior. Inside, light catching green and yellow glass recycled from wine bottles and pickle jars lines the vessel’s bottom. A smaller ‘boat’ sits on the glass.
The ‘boat and paddle’ are metaphors for change. Hietala hand-builds the ceramic canoe-like shapes—this diptych (above, two pieces) rendered in black with white markings is accented by three detailed copper ‘paddle-like’ pieces. Handwritten inscriptions on the interior of each vessel enrich the narrative.
Installation view from the exhibition at Oeno Gallery. The video has numerous closeup views of the vessels.
Image at top of post, Navigating, Ceramic 2023, 36 × 72 × 3.5 in (91.44 × 182.88 × 8.89 cm) Go here for detail and information about the story of the piece.
Oeno Gallery website, here.
Heather Allen Hietala website, here.
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