Lenore Rae Lampi’s Birch Motif series, affectionately dubbed “Tree Skin” by a friend from China, is a deeply personal and evolving body of work rooted in both sculpture and function. Initially inspired by the form of stacked firewood, the series grew in complexity as Lampi began to work with porcelain clay, drawing on her expertise in wheel throwing and hand-building. What emerged was a distinctive collection of vessels and sculptural forms that echo the textural richness and layered beauty of birch bark.

Each piece reflects a quiet sense of transformation; organic shapes are incised, altered and carved with a deliberate sensitivity to surface and form. Lampi’s thoughtful exploration of clay bodies, glazes, terra sigillata and atmospheric firing techniques results in surfaces that feel at once ancient and newly alive.