What We Carry, Untitled 03
This project makes visible the act of carrying. At times it takes shape as weight; at others, as lightness. It traces what we hold over time, what we inherit, and what we might release. What is ours to carry and what is not.
White stoneware, white oxide terra sigillata.
Dimensions: H: 42 cm W: 24 cm D: 24 cm.
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About What We Carry Collection
Liisa Salonen and Elizabeth Salonen, mother and daughter collaborators, merge the seductive qualities of clay with industrial mold-making techniques in the collection What We Carry.
The collaboration traces back to the 1940s, when Liisa’s mother studied under Mary Chase Perry (Stratton) at Pewabic in Detroit’s east side. In 2023, the two decided to return to their legacy, bringing the story full circle.
The work takes form through archetypal clay figures. Unglazed and exposed, their surfaces carry scars and visible seams – quiet records of experience. Each mark suggests both burden and release. As a defining gesture, orb-vessels made from ceramic or paper fiber yarn are either carried or surrendered.