Sara Lisch: Metamorphosis

September 10th, 2021 - October 16th, 2021

Sara Lisch presents Metamorphosis, an exhibition that includes five ceramic figurative sculptures and two textile wall works, inspired by her growth and transformation over the past year. During the pandemic, she focused on turning her thistle and foxtail backyard into a flourishing garden and over the many months of isolation, she watched the plants grow, flower, die, and transform. That experience seeped into her artistic practice. Metamorphosis is a metaphorical extension of her garden and symbolizes life, death, and renewal.

Lisch works primarily with low-fire clay and uses various hand-building and carving techniques to create her pieces. She often uses terra sigillata, underglazes, stains, acrylic paint, and ceramic transfers to enhance the work’s surface.

Sara Lisch was born in Sechelt, British Columbia and graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Her work has been exhibited at the Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts, the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan, Santa Fe Clay, Virginia Brier Gallery in San Francisco, and other national venues. Sara lives in San Pablo with her son and husband. She also curates an outdoor art gallery on the corner of Cedar St. and Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. She has been a member of Mercury 20 since 2017.

Rising
2021 Low fire ceramic, terra sigillata, paint 16 x 20 x 6 inches. photo by the artist

Gallery

Sara Lisch_sm

Sara Lisch

Much of my work is floating in the uncharted waters of the inner narrative. Interpersonal dynamics between people and their complicated relationships within themselves lead me to a visual exploration of the human psyche.  Universal themes such as love, sorrow, hope, humor, and irony are used to navigate and reflect the many facets of emotion. I use figurative allegory to narrate stories and open windows into the human experience.  Animal symbolism is often integrated into my work suggesting a primal connection either with oneself or as a vehicle to animate different levels of consciousness.  Much of my creative inspiration comes from the mystery of the subconscience intersecting with the complexities of the world around us.