Jade Lewis Vance is a ceramic artist and sculptor practicing in Traverse City, Michigan. Shereceived her Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics at West Virginia University in 2026. Shealso attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where she received her Bachelor of Fine Artsdegree in Ceramics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Civilizations. Jade createsfragmented figurative ceramic sculpture influenced by impactful human interactions in her life.Her work highlights a connection between the figure, human behavior, and memory. Jade hasalso attended residencies at the Iowa Ceramics Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and WatershedCenter for the Ceramic Arts in New Castle, Maine. She has experience teaching ceramics andfoundations courses at West Virginia University. Her work has been exhibited in a range ofshows across Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, and West Virginia, and she is currently represented bySynchronicity Gallery in Glen Arbor, Michigan. Jade enjoys sharing her passion for ceramicswith people of all levels, encouraging them to get their hands in clay. Artist Statement My work examines how fragmented gestures can communicate the emotional residue of human interaction. Through figurative sculpture, the work explores physical touch between two bodies as a fundamental mode of human connection. It can shape thoughts, feelings, and emotions, carrying a value that extends beyond the physical interaction. Recognizing touch as an innate human need, I explore my perspective on what belonging, love, and connection mean to me, while also acknowledging the fleeting qualities of these feelings. By recalling past moments, I select interactions that feel meaningful and create an abstracted version of that moment. While rooted in personal narrative, the sculptures portray just a remnant of a memory, leaving the identities of the bodies ambiguous. Their ambiguity and fragmented state suggest a shared aspect of humanity while inviting others personal reflection and interpretation. The fractured forms mirror the way memory functions: selective, fragile, and emotionally charged. As I sculpt, I extract vignettes of a composition that highlight the richest aspects of the interaction, focusing on touch as an essential element of the exchange. By capturing what remains, whether a gesture, a shadow of touch, or a trace of presence, I create objects that carry commemorative weight by preserving these remnants. Each piece becomes a physical artifact of memory, a quiet monument to a lived experience or feeling. I treat display as an extension of the narrative, using it to signal the relationship being depicted. The figures are supported by intentionally crafted armatures that suspend them in specific gestures, isolating a touch or the space between bodies. These suspended positions further abstract the moment and create compositions that feel both dynamic and evocative. Rendered in a saturated black, the bodies seem to occupy a space beyond the bodily experience by evoking shadow, silhouette, or impression. The saturated surface carries an emotional density and situates them into a more psychological and timeless space. The sculptures stand as material reminders of the impermanent interactions that shape our emotional lives.