the ties that bind and break (us) is a wall-mounted installation of white porcelain knots. There are single, and double knots, some are whole and intact, while others are partially broken or severed. Porcelain is a material that is both soft and hard; in its raw form, entirely pliable, once fired, its shape becomes fixed and rigid, stone-like, yet remains breakable, and delicate. Wrestling with how we hold our human experience in relationship, this work asks:  how rigidly or flexibly are we able to bend? When do we break? How are we impacted by our ties to others? In this piece, we can see the imperfect binding of clay to itself, the folds and textures remain visible as a document of what was once fluid, now fixed.