I photographed Ariella’s ceramics with awe. The forms are sculptural, playful, full of color that is both rich and lighthearted.

I had worked with clay myself, so I knew the weight of it. Most importantly, the slump, the collapse, the drying too fast or not fast enough. Which was maybe why her work felt so magical. There was a delicacy to it that didn’t seem possible.

I assisted briefly in production, just enough to see how much intention lived inside the fun.

Photographing the finished pieces felt like imagining the process in reverse. Sending the forms back to water and mud in my mind.