“Deep Dive” was created over a weeklong firing process in Westport, Massachusetts, where Binder said she and fellow artists “fed the kiln every five to seven minutes.” The piece itself, which was wheel-thrown and then intricately molded and carved, presented many textures found in the sea, like tentacles, fish scales, leathery skins, shells, and more, and highlighted tones ranging from cream to nearly black.

“I welcome people to touch the work, to run their hands over it because it really beckons,” she said.

Binder, a recent graduate from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a master’s degree in ceramics, is a member of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. She has been working in ceramics for only nine years, having spent the balance of her career in drawing and painting. She says she generally begins her ceramics work from sketches.

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