Having grown up around his father’s pottery studio, ceramic artist Matt Wedel has long understood and respected both the intrinsic properties of the material and the element of chance that accompanies the process of firing and glazing the clay. Stepping away from the notion of ceramics as a functional craft, Wedel’s art enters the realm of mythological creation stories. Intent on recreating the world from mud or clay, he intricately models vegetation, minerals, and animals—all of which, while familiar, suggest they have roots in the unknown. His works are complex yet fluid with simple but commanding saturated color. Recognizing that “there is baggage with being a medium-specific ceramic artist today,” Wedel states his art strives to “explore the medium and expand on [its] history.”