Reya The Shark Unique Ceramic Wall Sculpture Ocean Marine Sharkweek

Reya Sharks symbolize power, superiority & self-protection. It's time to shut out fear & go for what you want. This animal belongs to those who always survive & keep moving ahead. This one-of-a-kind hand built Shark is a Raku fired, wall mounted sculpture. It is the 9th shark in my 'Sphere' series. in the summer of 2018, I was invited to help run a week-long Raku workshop in Taos, New Mexico, where I live. It changed my life... The resulting effect became an unexpected creative collaboration & dance with fire. I sculpted & glazed, & fire & smoke did the rest. The results were so rewarding that I became inspired to raku almost exclusively... at least for now. Raku is a ancient way of firing clay. This work is painstakingly hand sculpted, bisque fired & then glazed. It is then placed in a Raku kiln, & when it reaches its peak temperature of 1850 F, it is pulled from the kiln, glazes molten hot, & put in a can with combustible materials like paper & sawdust, which catch fire against the hot piece. The lid is then put on, which extinguishes the flame, creating a reduction atmosphere. The ensuing smoke fills in the natural glaze cracking with black carbon, creating the unique, raku-only finish. I have been working with clay since I was a small child. I love sculptural, architectural adornment & functional art. I've exhibited in shows nationwide, won numerous awards & have a BFA in ceramics from Philadelphia's University of the Arts. This art is created in my studio in Taos, New Mexico. Reya The Shark Unique Ceramic Wall Sculpture Ocean Marine Sharkweek