* 3rd Place 2023: Alexandrina Gutu – Hush

Artist: Alexandrina Gutu
Title: Hush
Media: Ceramic
Grade: 12th
School: Miramonte High School
Teacher: Gavin Kermode

Made of clay and pottery glaze. The piece is a functional representation of anxiety. As the piece is filled with liquids or objects, the brain in the center of the bowl is obscured to represent drowning out and quieting thoughts. Colors are utilized in the bowl to represent a bright and happy exterior with a stormy interior. The artist’s own struggles with anxiety alongside her passion for science and anatomy inspired the piece.