Dryads series 

Editor: Here we have a piece from the “Dryads series” rendered in ceramic and stoneware. It depicts the torso of a woman merging into what appears to be tree bark. There’s something haunting and organic about it. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Haunting, yes, absolutely. It evokes something ancient, primordial, doesn't it? I think it's intriguing how Kinder Album merges the human form with the earthy materiality of stoneware. To me, it speaks of the intimate connection between humanity and nature, a kind of surrender to the organic. Do you see how the glaze almost feels like flowing sap or maybe even tears? Editor: It does, and it definitely amplifies that sense of surrender you mentioned. It makes me wonder about the ‘dryad’ reference - mythical tree nymphs - is the artist playing with the idea of transformation or maybe loss? Curator: Perhaps both! Think of myths. Aren't they always about transformations? I love how this work seems to be in the *process* of becoming – or unbecoming – something else. The skin-tone ceramic flows into a green-black base. Is she emerging from the tree, or being consumed by it? It’s unsettlingly beautiful, don’t you think? Editor: Unsettling is the right word! I keep looking for a face, but it's not there. Just a blending. It definitely hits some deep, visceral chord. Curator: Exactly! Art doesn't always need to provide easy answers. Sometimes it's just about inviting us to *feel* the mystery, the inherent strangeness of existing in a body, in a world where everything is connected and transforming. You know, art can mirror some part of yourself if you only let it. Editor: I never thought about ceramic sculpture being so expressive of feelings and connecting art with feelings; I often find myself concerned about analyzing artworks, maybe because it's something so focused on Art History programs. I feel a lot of curiosity about sculpture from now on! Curator: That's wonderful, isn’t it? Just let the art stir your heart as well as engage your mind. Now, what's next?