Description
“Up By The Messy Root” is an in-progress series of ceramic sculptures that express real, remembered, and imagined scenarios and feelings through form. The works pair an unruly bramble with a flimsy safety fence, spray-painted lines with shadows on the sidewalk, and a tangled root-wad with the woody canes of a rose bush. Throughout the building process, Kuenzi remains open to unexpected changes as each piece is composed, dries, and then transforms in the kiln. Balancing technical control with chance, the forms are shaped not only by the hand but by the material and process itself. The glazed surfaces reference material and immaterial sources. The orange textured glaze mimics fencing and alludes to markings used to identify utilities underneath the sidewalk. The deep cobalt mirrors shadows cast by the sun and street lights on pavement. By abstracting motifs from natural and built landscapes, the forms push and pull between what is real and unreal and reflect on themes of growth, movement, and acceptance.
Date
2026