Trompe L’Oeil Ceramics That Imitate The Natural Appearance Of Decaying Wood

Going Hand In Hand, 8.5″ x 26″ x 15.5″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic)

Ceramicist Christopher David White accurately captures the decay of wood through ceramics, portraying the distinct character of the natural material from the fine wood grain to the light ash coloration at the pieces’ edges. By utilizing a trompe l’oeil technique, White forces the viewer to take a closer look at his work while also investigating the truth hidden in the hyperrealistic sculptures.

Going Hand In Hand, 8.5″ x 26″ x 15.5″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic)

Through his ceramic pieces White explores the reality of impermanence, often combining man and nature through treelike limbs and faces. “I seek to expose the beauty that often results from decay while, at the same time, making my viewer question their own perception of the world around them,” explains White. He hopes to highlight the fact that we are not separate from nature, but rather intrinsically connected to it.

Going Hand In Hand, 8.5″ x 26″ x 15.5″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic)

White has a BFA in Ceramics from Indiana University and MFA in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. White’s work will be included in the exhibition Hyper-realism at the Daejeon Museum of Art in South Korea opening this fall.

A Walk That Is Measured And Slow, 14″ x 14″ 29″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic, drywall, iron oxide)

A Walk That Is Measured And Slow, 14″ x 14″ 29″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic, drywall, iron oxide)

A Walk That Is Measured And Slow, 14″ x 14″ 29″, 2015, (Ceramic, acrylic, drywall, iron oxide)

Asphyxia, 2013, H: 11″ W: 9″ D: 11″, (Ceramic, acrylic)

Asphyxia, 2013, H: 11″ W: 9″ D: 11″, (Ceramic, acrylic)

Asphyxia, 2013, H: 11″ W: 9″ D: 11″, (Ceramic, acrylic)

‘Cycle of Decay’ Ceramic, Acrylic
Via Artist a Day, Colossal