WENDY LISS

I am inspired by the mystery in the act of creation.

How does the intangible become tangible? What are the possibilities and limitations to what can be expressed in physical form? How does creative process reflect life itself?

My process engages these questions by balancing contrasting dynamics — intellect and intuition, action and reflection, control and surrender. I follow my body's natural rhythms and tactile responses to the malleable clay to create hand-built ceramic sculptures and sculptural vessels that convey a sense of gestural movement, as in dance or a crashing wave.

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Forms emerge out of raw and refined edges that contour shifting, folding, and concrete planes. I love working three-dimensionally because every time I flip or turn a sculpture another world opens up to me. This shift in perspective influences my perception and dictates how I proceed. Responding to these shifts in the present moment becomes a meditation on how perception is shaped by perspective. I approach each sculpture, as I do my life, creating a balance between conscious intention and intuitive response in the moment. The finished sculpture ultimately evolves out of that back and forth between creator and creation.