Lucy Agurkis

My Senior Independent Study functions as a self-portrait study as well as a portrayal of the students around me. This exhibition of ceramics forms express what art, specifically clay, means to me and how I can use it to articulate my thoughts and emotions. Art has always been a very therapeutic tool in my life, especially in the ceramics studio where I can develop a relationship to the clay, having a soothing effect in the process. In this body of work, I am taking that connection further and giving form to the process over the course of past year. I have focused on those emotions that are a central influence my studio art practice, and as well as those healing qualities that extend to others in the broader community around me. I composed three tables with ceramic vessels, each displaying a different firing technique, including bisque, glazed, and raku-fired forms. The bisque fired forms are impressed with rocks and presented in their natural state. These rocks and vessels show a vulnerability while at the same time are stable and strong. Nature is one of the things that grounds me in life, that I can always come back to. By bringing in the aspect of nature into my art, I hope to get that same effect. The glazed table displays a variety of colors and patterns, revealing my more playful side and personality quirks. The raku-fired table, in comparison, express the darker side of my nature, and life. Nonetheless, each form has a pop of blue and lighter color symbolizing a sense of hope within. Each form underwent its own journey, coming together to create a complete body work. Each table displays a final stage in the process, moments which I was able to create and free myself from stress and anxiety. This body of work is a reminder of the process of self-care and renewal, with the memories they hold with my own creative journey. This project serves as an exploration of the potential healing qualities of clay with the creation of vessels and volumetric forms. By working with clay and acknowledging my own nature, I hope to illuminate the universal aspects within the creative process to help alleviate stress and anxiety in myself and others.