Karla
Rivera

Hamilton, Ontario

karlarivera.com
@karlarivera_studio

I create functional and sculptural ceramics using plaster molds, drawing inspiration from the curves, gestures, and rhythms of the human body. These forms invite touch and closeness—handles that rest naturally in the hand, surfaces that echo the softness or tension of skin. I am fascinated by how an object can carry traces of the body and awaken sensations or memories in those who encounter it. My work seeks to create moments of connection: between form and touch, object and viewer, the intimacy of daily use and the quiet contemplation of sculpture. Each piece is both a vessel and a presence, a reminder of our shared physicality and the stories held within it.

Plaster casting offers me a language of precision and repetition, yet my process is rooted in the tactile and the personal. I carve, alter, and assemble, letting intuition disrupt symmetry. Each piece becomes a fragment of a larger story about presence and absence, strength and fragility, permanence and change.