Human Vessel Series: Urn
Arun Sharma
Human Vessel Series: Urn (detail) 2025
White stoneware
Celadon glaze
28.5 x 21 x 21 cm
About the Artwork
This work is part of my ongoing ‘Human Vessel’ series, which considers the ceramic form as a reflection of the human body and its cycles of use, memory, and transformation. Composed of three interrelated elements—a vessel for ashes, a lid, and a vase for flowers—the work holds both absence and renewal within a single structure.
The lower chamber, treated with flowing celadon glaze, suggests the torso and internal movement of the body, while the smoother upper form evokes the head, quiet and resolved. Functioning as both urn and vase, the piece reflects on mortality, ritual, and continuity, where remnants and living matter coexist. Through this duality, the work considers how objects may hold grief and celebration simultaneously, framing the vessel as both a container and marker of ongoing life.
About the Artist
Arun Sharma is a Sydney-based artist and educator, whose practice spans sculpture, mixed media, and ceramic design. Through both sculptural and functional work, he explores the expressive potential of clay while moving fluidly between art and design. Alongside his independent art practice, he is the founder and director of Kaolin Clay Studios, where he has built a vibrant ceramics community centred on making, learning, and material exploration.
Born in New York, USA, Arun holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University, USA; a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Washington, USA; and a Master of Arts in Ceramics from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. He has lived and worked in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the UK, where he was awarded a US–UK Fulbright Grant to research the fragmented figure at the National Centre for Ceramic Studies. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he has received numerous grants, awards, and residencies.