Within the Atmosphere

Within the Atmosphere is my ceramic sculpture project that explores how natural environments can affect human emotions. Instead of representing nature realistically, I present the sea, forest, and desert as emotional spaces rather than physical places.

The work consists of three hand-built stoneware sculptures, each representing a different environment. Every piece includes elements inspired by its setting. The sea sculpture contains flowing, wave-like forms, the forest includes plant and organic elements, and the desert is more open and minimal to reflect stillness and emptiness.

In each sculpture, I placed a small human figure. These figures are simplified and faceless, allowing the viewer to connect with them and project their own emotions. The work does not present one fixed story, but instead invites different personal interpretations.

I chose stoneware clay because of its natural, earthy texture, which strengthens the connection to nature. The sculptures  will be installed separately with space between them, allowing viewers to move around and experience each environment individually, while still understanding them as part of one whole atmosphere.

The concept is inspired by Songs of Mihyar the Damascene by Adonis. Mihyar is a symbolic character who moves through shifting, unclear environments, where meaning is never fixed. Each reader experiences the text differently.

I connected this idea to my work. Similar to Mihyar, the human figure in my sculptures exists within environments that do not have a single meaning. The sea, forest, and desert are not just places, but emotional states. One person may feel calm, while another may feel tension or discomfort in the same space.

This work is not about delivering one clear message, but about creating an experience. It reflects how humans connect with nature, and how the same environment can be felt in completely different ways depending on the individual.