wingspan

2024 | Ceramic, welded steel, reclaimed railroad iron, airplane wire, hardware 50x55x70”

wingspan, pushes the boundaries of sculptural ceramics to a nearly unrecognizable limit, resembling a huge steel marionette as it hangs suspended inside a welded frame. “I sought to explore the spiritual and emotional elements of my transgender experience, seeking to highlight the body in its capacity to mutate, captivate, antagonize, and baffle. I explore the process of transformation as memory, imagination, trauma and desire map into this body. By showing this sculpture alongside the Archive of Dreams, I hoped to cultivate an intimate space where the divide between self and other could be troubled and replaced with an expansive sense of awe and wonder.”

wingspan was first exhibited at Bard College at Simon’s Rock for completion of undergraduate thesis, April 2024, advisor Zoey Lubitz, readers Jacob Fossum and Ben Krupka. It was exhibited for the second time at the Berkshire Biennial in November 2024. wingspan earned a debut solo show at Easthampton City Arts, expected April 2026.

sculpting process

“In my studio practice I value meticulous attention to technique above all else. This piece was an eight-month intensive project, I invested four to ten hours of studio time daily, alongside my other classes. My process began with blueprints and a small plasticine model. As well as test tiles for glazes as well as style guides. From there I welded an armature and bolted it to a palette. I then sculpted with a high-grog stoneware by packing on the clay and shaving it off to refine the form. Once I was happy with the overall shape, I cut it off in sections. (Videos of this step can be found on my instagram @falcon_laina). Each section I then hollowed and re-assembled while leather hard using the basic slip-and-score technique. I then textured the piece with over 1,000 individually sculpted feathers of the same clay body with no grog; bisqued, glazed with black underglaze, and fired again to cone 10.”