Heraclitus’s River

Sarah Ziessen

2024
Ceramic, underglaze, canvas and paint
700mm (w) x 600mm (h) x 400mm (d)

As a result of the Object Makers Fellowship, Sarah has been exploring spontaneity as a distinct creative energy. The resulting chalice-like forms are arranged in storytelling vignettes, reflecting Sarah’s ongoing interest in the nature of being. This particular grouping features four chalices that reference the Tarot card “Four of Cups.” Traditionally, this card shows a figure seated beneath a tree, contemplating three cups before them, while a fourth cup is offered from a cloud – symbolizing new opportunities, emotional experiences, or potential blessings. However, the figure appears indifferent or unaware of the new offer, fixated on what is already in front of them.

During the fellowship, Sarah has been working to uncover her own blind spots. By using intuitive and spontaneous processes, she aims to bypass her conscious mind in an attempt to reveal things usually hidden from conscious awareness.

About Sarah

Sarah Ziessen, a Rotorua-based ceramic artist, explores the ontology and existential nature of being through her ceramic practice. With a Fine Arts degree from Whitecliffe College, her work explores global ceramic traditions and the archetypal link between vessels and the human body.