Inside Donzella’s new Exhibition Chris Gustin: Ascension

With Ascension, Gustin invites viewers into a dynamic exploration of form, movement, emotions, and the forces of nature. The Spirit Series, which serves as the centerpiece of this exhibition, embodies the artist’s ongoing pursuit of transformative and transcendent energy. Through monumental ceramic sculptures (some up to 5 feet tall), sensually curved, abstract amorphous forms, Gustin channels elemental forces—earth, fire, air—into pieces that reflect both the tangible and the metaphysical. These new works embody a sense of elevation, both physically in their sweeping forms and conceptually in their exploration of it and demonstrates an emotional connection between clay and the body. “The Spirit Series is a culmination of my lifelong relationship with clay. These pieces are more than just sculptural—they are metaphors for transformation and transcendence. I want the viewer to feel that the works are not just stationary objects, but energies in motion, rising upward and breaking free from the physical world,” states Gustin.

When creating these works, Gustin doesn’t start with a predisposition of an idea, “they all start to take on idiosyncratic human gestures and moves that differentiate themselves and in doing so they become their own being. Some are perky and expressive, and others are very quiet and reserved, and some are more confrontational or passive,” the artist explains. Enhancing the interplay of form, scale, surface, and clay are Gustin’s glazes. Often rendered in rich earth tones and ranging into more complex, mineral-like and opalescent colors, his glazes lend the emotional stance to the works. A master glazer, Gustin’s wood-firing techniques rely on the combination of glaze and ash to achieve rich depth of color, and utilize metal oxides for further coloration and translucence.

Taking 4 days to fire, each piece is the unique result of expert skill, creative intuition and the alchemy of wood-firing. The definitive effect of his finished glazes is all the more remarkable in light of the unpredictability factor of wood-firing, a testament to Gustin’s mastery. He fires his work in an Anagama kiln, a type of wood-fueled kiln dating back to ancient Japan. Adding to the unique beauty and mystery of each piece is the fact that he keeps his glaze recipes secret .

The exhibition will also include pieces from the Cloud Series, which juxtapose the ethereal and the solid. In this series, Gustin explores the fleeting, delicate beauty of clouds through flowing, gestural forms that evoke both lightness and weight. These works continue the artist’s interest in the interplay between fragility and strength, capturing the transient beauty of the natural world.

In addition to the new works, Ascension will feature a selection of Gustin’s iconic ceramic vessels from the past two decades, showcasing the evolution of his practice and his dedication to pushing the boundaries of the medium. From early works that defined his career to more recent pieces that demonstrate his ongoing exploration of abstraction and spirituality, the exhibition offers a comprehensive view of Gustin’s artistic journey.