Sonora Rain Orchard is a ceramic and sculptural artist pursuing their BFA in Studio Art at Northern Arizona University. Rain was introduced to ceramics at five years old by their father, and hasn’t stopped learning and playing with clay since. They have worked and studied in various ceramics studios in Tucson, Provo, Bisbee, and Flagstaff. As they create, they enjoy experimenting with texture, shape, and the human form. They take inspiration from the natural and cultural histories of the desert Southwest.
This piece is a fire totem, made in honor of fire’s power to transform mud into persisting art. The experimental shape was designed to evoke the flames that metamorphosed the piece during the wood-firing process. The colors and textures that adorn the piece are immortalizations of the chemicals and reactions within the smoke, ash, and heat that created them.
