Maura Meng
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mmeng-art.bsky.social
Maura Meng
@mmeng-art.bsky.social
Contemporary artist currently focused on ceramic sculpture and some pottery. I use alternative firing methods, underglaze painting, and often use locally harvested clay. One part perfectionist 1 part hillbilly mess.
www.mmeng.art
Yellowknife, NT, Canada
Sometimes I make non-ceramic things. This is a chair that I reupholstered and made new legs for. I’m looking out for some other chairs to make a mis-matched set.
April 27, 2025 at 11:38 AM
How do I describe my work. The sometimes twisted faces of an uncomfortable fall. The mental anguish of a person in transition. In darkness. And the reaching. Reaching for what? Its the imagining that something might be watching. Something might want to emerge from the nothingness.
#contemporaryart
April 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
I’ve started slip-casting my hand molds! I’m super stoked to get this project moving I’ll make 250 total. The trimming is time consuming but I’m looking forward to seeing them coming out of the wall in an installation. I need to start writing proposals soon.
#ceramics #contemporaryart #nwtarts
March 29, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Hand #6! I’m thinking I might stop at 6 and just start slip casting these, I’m really looking forward to getting this rather ambitious work done. Next step is slip-casting 200-300 of them, then pit-firing them.
March 13, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Hand 5 of 8! They’re sculptures being made into slip-cast molds. I’ll take 200-300 casts and they will hang on the wall as if they are emerging from the wall. I’m casting them in local terra cotta clay I’ve been processing, and will pit fire them.
#ceramicsculpture #contemporarysculpture
March 11, 2025 at 10:35 PM
I finished a plaster mold of this hand (4 of 8) yesterday. It came out as a 5 piece mold and I feel like today was for recovery (except I made tiles). I try and finish a mold in a single day, and it’s a long and messy day. It’s occasionally gruelling but feels so good to make progress.
#sculpture
March 6, 2025 at 5:12 AM
My mold making process in a too small too messy but warm kitchen table. I feel like my dedication to the work shines through the frustration of not having a proper studio. Or even a real house.
#ceramicsculpture #ceramicarts #contemporaryart
#nwt #canadianartist
February 24, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Here’s hand sculpture 3 of 8. I started getting more detailed with these sculptures.

My plan is to make around 200 or so slip cast hands coming out of the wall, and I’m casting them with local clay that I’ve been processing.

#contemporarysculpture #nwtart #ceramicart #wildclay
February 9, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Here’s a work in progress for the day. This is hand 2 of 8 that I’m planning on making plaster molds for ceramic slip casting. My goal for February is to get these molds finished. Still gotta work out some lumps.
#contemporarysculpture #nwt #ceramicart
February 3, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Zadie Smith has quickly become my new favourite author. I also feel like reading her work makes me better at writing, especially writing about art, because her descriptions are both poetic and pragmatic.
January 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
I’m treating these masks like a song, and very focused on emotional response. Some of it is personal stuff that’s hard to get out, and some is an attempt to add personal and intimate reactions to a social environment. I’m not sure where to take this one yet.
#claysculpture #contemporaryart #wip
January 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Another work in progress. I’m planning on painting this one, especially the eye, so it looks alive and 1/2 content.

I’m not sure how I feel about it right now, when I conceived it I felt like I was trying to stay positive while also staring blankly into the void.
#claysculpture #contemporaryart
January 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Work in progress. This piece was successfully bisque fired but needs to be glazed. It’s the first time I tried dipping fibre in clay slip and I’m thrilled it came out in 1 piece.

#contemporaryart #ceramicsculpture #clayprocess #ceramics
January 23, 2025 at 10:59 PM
These two are meant to be hanged together the piece is called Partners. The spikes were meant to represent externalized agression and internalized aggression, and how relationship patterns can be imbalanced and do damage.
#contemporarysculpture #ceramicart #fineart #contemporaryart #clayprocess
January 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Here’s a work in progress for a more ambitious piece. I’m going to make 7 more hand molds, and then slip cast around 200 hands with local clay I’ve been digging. These hands will be arranged in a grid coming out the wall. I wanted to pit fire them all.
#contemporaryart #ceramicsculpture #clay
January 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
This is a work in progress. I’m planning on glazing this piece and using a gold overglaze for the folded section in the middle. It’s part of a series of masks I started this winter.

#contemporarysculpture #ceramicsculpture #contemporaryart #nwtarts #underglazepainting #clayprocess
January 22, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Burnout
This is bisque fired and yet to be glazed. It’s part of a series of masks I started this winter.
January 22, 2025 at 3:24 AM