For as long as she can remember, Jemma Sassano has been rendering faces and beings she has never seen before. They come to her and her art connects her in that way. Using earth materials, she can shape a feeling she doesn’t always understand into the physical realm.

To her, everything she has made is alive and here to experience our physical reality. Ceramic vessels formed by her hands are crafted with protective loving intention and freedom. She believes each piece is made exactly for the person and place it ends up that she is just a conduit for the connection.

Jemma’s work is greatly inspired by her Italian heritage and the old folktales and ghost stories that are synonymous with growing up in rural New England. She currently lives in Seattle, WA and works with students at Rain Ceramics and out of her personal studio in Belltown. You can shop her work in person at Friend Museum.