Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman

Artist, Industrial Designer, Educator

Large Works

Vessel no. 78
Stoneware, porcelain, oxides and glaze
13 ½” tall x 11” wide
Sculptural ceramic vessel featuring pronounced shoulders, a narrow opening, and heavy gray glaze buildup flowing down one side over a pale, fractured surface.
Vessel no. 78 – side 1
Side view of a ceramic vessel with a wide, structured body, narrow neck, rugged rim, and bold charcoal-gray glaze drips over cracked white porcelain slip.
Vessel no. 78 – side 2
Front view of a hand-built ceramic vessel with broad angular shoulders, a narrow neck, and a dramatic sculptural rim. Fractured white surfaces contrast with dark gray glaze drips and warm ochre tones.
Vessel no. 78 – side 3
Close-up of a sculptural ceramic vessel with cracked white porcelain slip, ochre markings, flowing charcoal-gray glazes, and a rugged, heavily textured rim.
Vessel no. 78 – detail
Close-up of an irregular ceramic vessel rim with sculptural clay formations, folded edges, and swirling gray, cream, and pale blue glazes.
Vessel no. 78 – rim detail
Extreme close-up of a ceramic surface showing rough clay formations, fractured porcelain slip, layered mineral-gray and blue glazes, and areas of glossy and matte texture.
Vessel no. 78 – texture

Vessel No. 78 was created during my residency at Medalta in Alberta, Canada, drawing inspiration from the eroded rock formations and expansive prairie landscape. Its distinctive silhouette features a broad, angular shoulder that rises into a narrow neck, crowned by a rugged, sculptural rim. Fractured porcelain slip, warm ochre tones, and flowing charcoal-gray glazes create a surface that shifts between smooth, quiet areas and heavily textured, almost volcanic formations. The contrast between the vessel’s structured body and its expressive, irregular rim reflects the tension between intention and natural transformation.