100 Vases
100 Vases
Designing and creating a ceramic installation.
Client
My Role
Background
In the winter and spring of 2018, I worked on and completed a fine arts commission for a private installation. The client wanted a design involving shelves full of custom-made vases flanking his parlor fireplace.
Design
Initial Sketches: I was able to visit the space, and quickly put together some sketches for the client's review. The major visual theme of the project was meant to be high visual density and an emphasis on multiples, but through sketches and research, I explored different forms and historical references.
Final Design: After meeting with the client and agreeing on the creative direction, I created a 3D model of the installation space and proposed pieces. This helped provide the client with a sense of scale, texture, and lighting while providing me with the exact dimensions for each piece.
Fabrication
With designs approved, it was time to hunker down in the studio. Every piece was hand-thrown on a potter's wheel out of porcelain and meticulously refined with hand tools. Once finished, they were fired, glazed, and burnished through a process called wet-sanding. The result was over a hundred vases ranging from 8" to 24" tall with glazed interiors and a raw porcelain exterior that was extremely smooth to the touch.
Final Design Deliverables
Once the vases had been fired for the final time and thoroughly burnished, they were delivered and installed in the space.
