The Art of Conservation: Aestheticizing Endangered Species Through Illustration and Sculptural Ceramics to Contribute Towards Education and Conservation

Exhibition dates: October 7 - 14, 2021


Coral Reef, 9w, 10d, 23h, Mid-range Ceramics, 2019


Detail, Coral Reef, 9w, 10d, 23h, Mid-range Ceramics, 2019


Kakapo, Low-fire Ceramics, 2019


Detail, Amur Leopard, 14w, 8d, 23h, Mid-range Ceramics, 2020


Amur Leopard, 14w, 8d, 23h, Mid-range Ceramics, 2020




Artist Statement


The velocity of recent human mediated climate change has made adaptation and survival unlikely for many species, resulting in their endangerment and extinction.


My body of work aims to create visual appreciation for the species facing extinction, to educate audiences on their existence and on the importance of preserving our planet’s diversity for future generations.


Through the combination of wheel throwing, sculpture, carving, and underglaze painting techniques, I’ve developed a body of work in ceramics focused on the documentation of the diverse characteristics of each endangered animal or environment selected. Each piece created acts as a study of a specific species, which uses my artistic interpretation of the animal or habitat to document details of their textures, colors, and unique adaptations. Through the firing processes, the fragility of the works become stabilized, thus creating a quality of permanence for the vanishing species by preserving them within the clay.