Sarah Rosenblum

In the Gallery with Sarah Rosenblum

What first inspired you to begin making art, and how has your creative journey evolved since then?

My first inspirations were my grandmothers! One is a dress maker and sewer and the other is an oil painter. I have always been making things with whatever I can get my hands on. I stopped for a few years but by the end of college I was spending most of my time sculpting in the art department with a mask on during covid. I started throwing on the wheel 3.5 years ago with Jotham Hung and got hooked on clay. He has taught me so much. I have been returning to sculpting again with lamp shades. I am grateful to have had such wonderful teachers.

Can you walk us through your creative process? What inspires you to begin a new piece or project, and how does that initial idea evolve as you work?

I work pretty loosely but generally begin on the wheel and with a thrown piece inspired by bottlenecks and moon jars. The shades I make in a set or collection of experiments with paper. I am always exploring with balance and asymmetry when I combine the shapes. Inspiration often comes from a story whether it be with a friend, in my own life, or something that I have read and found provoking.

Your work brings together ceramics, light, and paper, transforming everyday objects into something more atmospheric. How do clay, light, texture, and the translucency of paper influence how you develop a form and communicate meaning? How does the process of making the lamp and lampshade shape the final direction of the work?

The materials are all pretty standard for a lampshade and a lamp body. I like to imagine sculpting, painting, and sewing with them as a way of storytelling. I design with surrealist motifs and textures inspired by my nature and architecture. I imagine them fitting into spaces and environments and the atmosphere I want them to contribute as I am building. It’s always a learning process and each has its own surprises and challenges.