Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze

Elsa Rady transformed her bowls into sculptures. Inspired by modern dance, she carved elegant shapes into the rim, invoking twirling, lifting movement. The grass-green matte glaze imbues the form with a sense of softness, even restraint.

This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

Elsa Rady often spends hours carving the rims of her pieces. She includes notches in the rim to reduce the likelihood that the thin walls will crack during firing, but also to add detail to her beautifully spare, unadorned pieces. The curved notches in the rim of Porcelain Bowl with Green Glaze suggest circular movement. An art collector once suggested that this design was inspired by Rady's mother, a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company, which was known for choreography that incorporated long, flowing skirts.