Distressed Sandstone Ikebana Vessel No.1
by Alex Roby Design · Stanwood, United States

A multidisciplinary artist with over a decade of experience in graphic design and photography, Alexandria Roby returned to fine art in 2023, drawn to the rawness of clay and the grounding connection to self and earth that emerges through working with the material. Based in the United States, her practice is rooted in the organic textures, tones, and contrasts found throughout the natural world, bringing together form and function to create vessels that elevate spaces with grounded beauty and intention.Working with both wheel-thrown and hand-built techniques, Alexandria creates one-of-a-kind vessels that embody a balance of strength and fragility, refinement and imperfection, dark and light, mirroring the delicate tensions woven throughout nature and our ever-evolving lives. Drawn to what feels unearthed and inherently wild, she often incorporates collected natural materials such as rocks, shells, and wood to add surface detail, allowing both intentional and natural breakage to emerge from the material itself. Each piece develops its own narrative through process, texture, and transformation.Inspired by ancient forms and techniques, Alexandria incorporates wild clay and atmospheric firing, allowing flame and material to act as quiet collaborators in the creative process. The resulting works feel both unearthed and newly formed, each vessel shaped by texture, transformation, and the beauty of imperfection. Often leaving areas unglazed to reveal the beauty of the clay itself, her vessels invite a tactile connection, objects that feel at once grounded, weathered, and alive.