This stoneware heart vessel, encased in outward-pointing nails, embodies the instinct to protect what is most vulnerable. Its hardened ceramic form symbolizes emotional resilience, while the nails serve as a defensive barrier, projecting pain rather than concealing it. The piece confronts the complex entanglement of love and suffering, offering a meditation on both protection and exposure.
The vessel simultaneously becomes a heart and a shield,both beautiful and brutal. The nails are not mere decoration; they are interruptions and echoes of memory. They speak to the emotional armor we construct in the aftermath of hurt. The tension between the ceramic’s fragile strength and the nails’ raw intrusion creates a visual and emotional dissonance.
