Roger Denis

I work mostly in clay. I like that there is an immediate and direct contact between my hands and the clay. Clay allows me to explore and develop the shape as I work. 

I often have no idea what I’ll make when I start each sculpture. I begin with rough miniatures that fit in my hand. I might take a piece of clay and twist, pinch, stretch, or flatten it, seeing if anything interesting evolves. As I do this, I may see something I like, such as a curve, a line or a hollow. I respond to the shape, changing it as I go. It almost feels like a back-and-forth conversation, and I have no idea where it’s going. 

I keep the best of these miniatures and scale them up, refining and tweaking them as I go. I often pay particular attention to enhancing clean lines or shapes, partially wrapping or winding them around the sculptures. 

My pieces express something that comes from within me, even if I’m not exactly sure what that is. They’re often flowing, curvaceous and energetic. Some are a stylized human form like a torso, while others are more abstract. But many of these have subtle connections to the human body as well. 

Oftentimes when I am sculpting, I feel like I’m in the zone, present, in the moment, and connected.