Sculpture in Progress: “Who Am III?” — Emerging from the Ethereal Origins Series

In the studio, every new sculpture begins as a question — sometimes whispered, sometimes demanded. “Who Am III?”is one of those questions that insists on being answered through process rather than words. The title carries three I’s intentionally, referencing layered identity, multiplicity, and the fragmented architecture of mystery that underlies much of my Ethereal Origins series.

This new work has moved from the raw, intuitive shaping stage into its cast form, revealing surfaces, rhythms, and tensions that were previously hidden. As the mold opens and the sculpture begins to solidify into its next state, the piece feels as though it is discovering itself alongside me. The organic curves push outward, evolving from a biomorphic seed into an entity with presence — not yet defined, but undeniably alive.

The Evolution of Form

Ethereal Origins has always dealt with dualities: the seen and unseen, the cellular and the cosmic, the instinctive gesture and the structural refinement that follows. “Who Am III?” carries those dualities into new territory. The earlier rough clay textures have now given way to layered surfaces that hold both the memory of the hand and the precision of casting. The sculpture’s body feels simultaneously ancient and emerging — as if excavated from some unknown time, yet still in the process of becoming.

Casting this piece was not simply a technical step; it was a transformation. By moving the form from clay to its cast shell, the sculpture takes on a permanence, a new skin that allows the subtleties of shadow and light to articulate more clearly. Even at this unfinished stage, the work suggests its own internal gravity.

Conceptual Grounding

The question embedded in the title — Who Am I? Who Am II? Who Am III? — reflects the layered self we all carry. Identity is never singular. It is built in strata: memory, instinct, biology, emotion, thought, belief, evolution. This sculpture seeks to reveal those layers through physical form, mirroring how the self is continuously shaped, shed, and reshaped.

As with much of my work, I’m drawn to the molecular level — how matter organizes, how energy moves through structure, how forms in nature carry both logic and unpredictability. “Who Am III?” taps into that fascination, merging biomorphic intuition with the raw physicality of process.

Looking Ahead

This is still only one stage of the sculpture’s evolution. More sanding, refining, surfacing, and finishing lies ahead. The piece will continue to change — sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically — as it moves toward its final state. Each turn in the studio lights reveals a new possibility, a new interpretation of the question embedded in its core.

I’ll continue sharing updates as the piece progresses. For now, this is “Who Am III?” discovering its voice, its posture, and its future.