From $4,200

Production lead time: 8-10 weeks

Part of Murphree's On the Surface series, developed alongside her Portals mirrors and built on the same idea of varietas, that many distinct elements can coexist to create a richer, more harmonious whole. This composition rounds the features into fuller, domed forms, and like the rest of the series it reduces the face to its most essential geometry, inviting viewers to finish the portrait with their own memories, emotions, and interpretations. The separate ceramic elements both project from and merge with the wall, landing somewhere between sculpture and architecture, at a scale Murphree reached by working feature by feature rather than within the limits of a single firing.

Each element can be glazed in any of eight finishes, Redwood, Tomato, Brick, Bark, Gold, Rainforest, Petal, and Emerald, and custom palettes are available. To customize, please inquire.

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Keavy Murphree creates ceramic sculptures resembling fantastical human faces and creatures. An industrial designer for many years before opening her studio in 2018, she draws on contemporary design and a deep reverence for folk and indigenous art of the Americas, making work that seems inhabited by friendly and benevolent house gods watching over family homes.