Ellen Schön’s solo exhibition Loftings, features 3D printed ceramic sculpture and vessels. Inspired by diverse cultural traditions, Schön’s recent ceramic work alludes to both mathematical symmetries and the human figure. Loftings, the title of the show, refers to the process of creating a surface by connecting a series of curves in Rhino, a 3D modeling software. Schön says of her process, “There is an interesting tension between control in designing on the computer and chance in the printing of clay. This new technology has stimulated discovery in my work, expanding possibilities of scale and the ability to create more complex forms. My intention remains the same—to create unique, personal forms which resonate—whether they are functional, metaphorical, or somewhere in between.”

In her installation Flight Lessons, Wen-hao Tien blends storytelling, symbolism, and natural materials to explore the universal human desire for freedom, uplift, and transcendence. Tien features abstract bird-like sculptures—hand- formed from clay—perched on trapezes, suspended from branches, or climbing toward invisible heights. Art historian Shelley Drake Hawks writes, “Fired from clay, the abstract shapes of the birds resemble calligraphy. Each elongated form becomes an expressive, flowing line from the recesses of her imagination as the ceramic words roost and flutter.” Tien’s inspiration is both deeply personal and globally resonant. Her father was a pilot and kept messenger pigeons as pets—a legacy that infuses the work with emotional weight. Flight Lessons also reflects on contemporary struggles of displacement and migration, a poetic response to the plight of refugees seeking hope and safety.