When Clay Breathes, 2022

Captured during an interview with a Tibetan American potter, Kalsang, the artist reflects:

“When learning pottery for the first time, you focus on the craft.

The clay controls you. It will move you, and your hands will move. So clay is the master, and you are the slave.

But then you have to master the skill of converting this lump of clay into a magical pot, which is hollow and occupies a beautiful space; you have the power. You can pull, squeeze, or take it up, and during that time, you forget your skills and everything, and your hand moves freely. Sometimes, you can close your eyes.”

Based in Woodside, New York, Kalsang has spent years refining this balance between mastery and surrender, where touch becomes understanding, and clay begins to breathe. For more information, please visit Kalsangpottery.