“Traditional, wheel-thrown forms are easily understood. Introducing cuts, slices, and chops opens up new possibilities surrounding abstraction, interior, exterior, and empty space. How much of a thing can be removed before it is no longer itself? How many of these altered individuals form a collective, or community? I am interested in this idea beyond materiality and utility. Grouping forms together into communities or isolating individuals stirs an emotional reaction. Repetition of shape or empty space reinforces ideas of shared space and connectivity. Creating more empty space can focus the form on absence or loss. My own desire for community and inclusivity has shaped my material choices and informs how I think about creating groups or isolations. The vessel itself has always felt deeply personal. It evokes the human figure and is intimately connected with domestic life from antiquity through today. Where is the line between utility and sculpture, the boundary of carrying water and holding memory?” Rebekah Sweda is a contemporary ceramicist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She works to reveal images that come from two dimensional planes intersecting with three dimensional space through vessels. Using the vessel as a base, the interior and exterior merge with a slice to create sculpture. She received a dual degree in Chemistry and Art from Calvin University and went on to receive an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.