John

Year

2026

Dimensions

11 in x 11 in x 6 in

Materials

Ceramics Clay and Glaze

John is a ceramic sculpture built from a wheel-thrown base with a hand-built head, face, and toes. I was inspired by the expression of the “Smug Jug” meme, but I was not trying to force a deep meaning into it. I wanted people to look at the long neck, exaggerated face, and unexpected toes and think, “That's just weird.” Even the name John is part of that reaction because it is so plain compared with the sculpture. The hardest part was throwing the base. We had to learn the wheel quickly, so I was still trying to control the form while deciding what the creature would become. This piece let me experiment outside drawing and make discomfort and humor part of the same object.