Sara Hensel

Make Home

2018 | BFA Thesis Exhibition

Make Home

A pale yellow ceramic colander in the shape of a sunflower, image courtesy of the artist — Sunflower Colander | 13"x10"x5" | 2018

A shallow oval dish with freeform squiggle pattern inside, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Oval Dish with White Inlay and Copper Wash | 12"x9"x6.5" | 2018

An almond shaped ceramic colander filled with fruit, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Almond Colander, Side 1 | 13"x10"x4" | 2018

fruit stacked on top of the reversible almond-shaped ceramic colander, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Almond Colander, Side 2 | 13"x10"x4" | 2018

pink ceramic platter with copper interior, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Platter with Pink and Copper Interior | 12"x8"x4"

Large brown bowl with white inlay and undulating rim, image courtesy of the artist — Big Brown Bowl with White Inlay and Undulating Rim | D16"xH8"

five stacks of varying numbers of smalls bowls with red exteriors and ochre interiors, image courtesy of the artist — Selected Robert's Bowls | D8"xH6"

large yellow ceramic basket with thin brown inlaid stripes and handles, image courtesy of the artist — Big Yellow Bucket with Handles and Brown Inlay | D12"xH14"

yellow triangular shaped dish with high edges and handles, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Triangular Dish / Bucket with Handles (Bucket Side) | 13"x13"x6"

fruit on top of the reversible oval dish with oblong perforations, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Oval Elevated Dish with Oblong Perforations | 12"x8"x6.5"

Square shaped yellow and brown deep ceramic bucket, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Lighthouse Bucket/ Elevated Square Plate (Bucket Side Up) | 10"x10"x14"

A pair of triangle shaped dishes; one with a blue green interior is propped up, image courtesy of the artist — Pair of Reversible Triangular Elevated Dishes/ Buckets (Top View) | each ~ D13"xH6"

Stacks of everyday ceramic bowls with inlaid white slip and sgraffito, image courtesy of the artist — Everyday Bowls with Inlaid White Slip and Sgraffito | Each 3"x7"D

fruit stacked on top of a reversible square dish with pink stripes, image courtesy of the artist — Reversible Square Dish/Vessel with Pink Strips | 13"x13"x7"

Artist Statement

Coming Soon

BFA Tiny Gallery Build & Installation Photos

A U-Haul parked in front of a tarp protecting the building site of the gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Construction begins on the floor of the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Sara poses on the completed floor of the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

A frame for a wall goes up on the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Frames for the walls are up on the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Tyvek covers the outside of the tiny gallery as it is protected under a tarp, image courtesy of the artist

The interior of the tiny gallery is prepared for insulation and wiring, image courtesy of the artist

Beams are installed across the top of the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

A view of the tiny gallery as the exterior starts to go up set against the fall colors, image courtesy of the artist

Sara smiles as she works on constructing pieces for her tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Sara hauls building material over her shoulder, image courtesy of the artist

Sara preps the windows for installation, image courtesy of the artist

The finished interior of the tiny gallery, image courtesy of the artist

The tiny gallery parked in its location outside of Well Street Art Company where it will remain for April 2018, image courtesy of the artist

Sara poses in front of her gallery in the Well Street Art Company parking lot, image courtesy of the artist

Shelves are being hung for Sara's BFA exhibition in her mobile gallery, image courtesy of the artist

Ceramics is a peculiar field-- community is a crucial element to realize any result in ceramics, as very little can be accomplished completely alone. There is a cultural legacy of mentorship, leadership, mutual instruction, knowledge sharing, and support in the community, and at its best these priorities can prove deeply moving and meaningful. I learned so much by being among a varied cohort of peers who brought such a breadth of experience to their practice. Sara Hensel '18, BFA: Ceramics

What's New

Sara has been making work full time since November 2022 as well as serving as a wheel and handbuilding instructor at 3 studios in Portland, Oregon.

Sara was also selected for Birdie Boone's 2024 Clay Cohort (now Cohorts.Art), a professional development/ mentorship program for ceramic artists seeking to deepen their practice!.

Sara is also a volunteer coordinator for Queer Cat 2024 (@Queercatfiring) which is programming designed to bring newcomers of marginalized identities, Particularly Queer and BIPOC folks) into the ceramics fold, and to challenge the traditions of racism, gender inequality, and ableism in wood fire ceramics contexts!

From Queer Cat's core values:

"Queer Cat is a free annual ceramic art program serving LGBTQIA+ artists in the Portland area, driven by community-building, advocacy, and accessibility. Our programming provides queer folks an access point and launchpad for growth in the local wood-fire ceramics community, centering clay education, mentorship, and the creation of ceramic art. Queer Cat challenges patriarchal, racist, and ableist norms pervasive in wood-fire spaces by supporting access for QTBIPOC, increasing gender diversity, and offering clay education at no cost. To that end, Queer Cat programming includes free workshops, community events, and opportunities for leadership, mentorship, and education."

Website

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About the Artist

I am a potter and ceramics instructor living in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I currently teach all levels of wheel and hand building at a few studios in town— Heirloom Ceramics, Morning Ceramics, and Elemental Studios.

I earned a BFA in ceramics from University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2018. In Fairbanks, the unique “potluck culture” that so celebrated the abundance of the Alaskan landscape and community kept me chasing ideas of generosity and service in my “Make Home” thesis pieces. To this day, my work is still very much about sharing the harvest around and within.

Summer opportunities to teach ceramics to youths while in the BFA program nurtured an ethic of playfulness in my work. The directness and earnestness of the kids’ handing of the clay yielded pieces that were extremely sweet and intimate— little windows into each kid’s soul, and some of the best art I will ever see in my life.

I have been teaching adults since October 2022, and find that my practice has become so much richer for the opportunity to guide and encourage others through the challenges and triumphs of working with clay. Those relationships are treasured joys, and great reminders to stay oriented to my community.

I strive to imbue my work with humor, curiosity, and observation, and hope to reach out to users through the fingerprints, scrapes, and smears that mark my process.

Department of Art

Sara Hensel

Make Home

2018 | BFA Thesis Exhibition

Make Home

Artist Statement

BFA Tiny Gallery Build & Installation Photos

What's New

Follow for more:

About the Artist

Questions?

CLA Contact Information

UAF College of Liberal Arts

CLA Departments & Programs