Food for

Sarah Hummel Jones molds clay to shape, glaze, and fi re iconic American cuisine—ceramic pretzels, fried eggs, and pizza slices. Yet, each piece’s title hints at a subtext bubbling just beneath the surface: the malleability of perception. The food Hummel Jones chooses to sculpt is based on what that item can “be transformed into.”

“I like [to make] stuff you would see every day, but maybe you're not paying attention to it as closely as I am,” Hummel Jones said.

Her brand, Clay Club Ceramics, is represented by what appears to be a haphazard doodle; upon closer inspection, the image of a flower in bloom materializes. This logo encapsulates the free-formed, yet highly intentional, style of Hummel Jones.

“I call it elementary drawing, as opposed to a more realistic form. Grad school can be so uniform and strict, and I was making pieces to break from that practice,” she said.

When Hummel Jones sits at the wheel, often with Kendrick Lamar albums playing in the background, she brings a bucket of water, a small circular sponge, and a wooden pottery knife. She prepares to throw anywhere between one and 10 pieces at a time, flow-state permitting.

“I would turn on music and then just sit down in my space and get started. I often take breaks because I've got a pretty short attention span that I think that’s important to mention,” Hummel Jones explained. “I think a lot of people have the idea that I'm in for like, hours on end nonstop, but I often take pretty frequent breaks…[in part] for peace of mind.”

After the clay has been thrown and kneaded to satisfaction, the glazing process begins. The glazes she uses are either applied in a traditional dipping fashion, or are carefully applied with a squeeze bottle to form precise, fi ligreed designs. She has a natural proclivity for bright, eff usive colors—though more subdued complexions, such as neutral earth tones, are often used in work to be sold to the public at pop-ups.