Tiahna Williams "From Ruin"

Tiahna Williams (OR)

From Ruin
Soda Wood-fired stoneware to ^10 in a catenary arch kiln
hand carved with hand sculpted fungal forms
11" tall

This vessel was wood fired over several days, receiving ash, ember, and flame as collaborators rather than electricity. The surface holds the evidence of that exchange—carbon blushing at the shoulder, cascading ash glaze, and vertical striations reminiscent of gills hidden beneath a forest cap. The firing atmosphere marked the clay the way weather marks bark, creating a skin that feels grown rather than made.
Small sculpted fungi emerge from the body of the form, not as decoration but as witnesses. For centuries, fungi have existed at the threshold between decay and renewal. Medicinal mushrooms—such as reishi, turkey tail, and chaga—have been used across cultures to strengthen immunity, reduce inflammation, support resilience, and restore balance within the body. They do not dominate; they regulate. They do not rush; they fortify. Their medicine is slow, intelligent, and relational.
This piece reflects that philosophy of healing. The vessel stands upright and steady, yet its surface suggests erosion, weathering, and regeneration all at once. The darkened rim feels like fertile soil after rain. The ash deposits resemble mineral-rich earth. The vertical texture echoes the hidden networks of mycelium threading beneath the forest floor—quiet systems of connection.

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