Boxes

Women as Vessels is a series of forty-five ceramic boxes, each representing a woman whose story has touched me. These works are not literal portraits. Rather, each box is inspired by a specific woman—some I know personally and others who are public figures whose lives have resonated with me.

Every box is unique in its size, shape, and surface treatment, reflecting the individuality of the woman it represents. I often focus on a single aspect of a woman's character, life experience, or physical features as the starting point for each piece.

The collection also includes a self-portrait. After reading I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong—an exploration of the human microbiome and its profound influence on who we are—I set out to represent the imagined community of microorganisms that live on and within me. This box portrays me both as a collection of countless living organisms and as a unique individual with many identities.

Similarly, the collection as a whole celebrates both the distinctiveness of each woman and the qualities women share. The box becomes a metaphor for the female body: a vessel that carries new life, holds memories and experiences, and is continually transformed over time. Like the women they represent, no two boxes are alike. Each possesses its own character, beauty, and story.