That I want to do this
for the rest of my life.
401-200-5565
cvaspol@gmail.com/cvaspol@risd.edu, Instagram: @thekindbear, RISD CER 26
“...in response, we withdraw, pushing ourselves further and further away from the people around us.
At the end of this retreat, it can feel as though we have been left behind, and exposed to the violence ridden world we have imagined and inherited.”
(•••)
“It is in my investigation to remind, and make visible what
inherently
connects us to each other through my
own interconnectedness, and how the creativity and joy that comes from
this, can fuel a kind imagination for the future.”
(•••)
Reduced Stoneware, Glaze
Waxed Red Twine
Ongoing Series.
Fall 2025
Hiraeth—a Welsh word describing a nostalgia or longing for the familiarity of home. For centuries, Welsh families wove with the wool of local mountain sheep, whose short, resilient fleece supported a thriving domestic craft. Their signature double-weave — two layers woven at once and bound—created the bold, reversible designs now closely tied to Welsh identity.
Symbols have faced the brunt of my research thus far. In this process, symbols become a form of ceremony– small rituals of recognition that tether us to the relationships, histories and inheritances that constitute who we are. They mark the moments when connection reveals itself, often subtly, and allow us to participate in that revelation. My research into Welsh tapestry blankets, and specifically the Caernarfon motif, became one such ceremony of return.
What began as an attraction to multiples and pairing came into sharper clarity when I recognized the pattern on a sweater my mother knit for me years ago. The geometry of that symbol, the Caernarfon, found itself as a core symbol in my exploration.
Wood Fired Stoneware, Glaze
Multiple Dolls
Ongoing Series
These dolls, as I have named them, are an experimentation into expressing the feeling of constant connection. Through the form of the functional vessel, these figures continuously serve a purpose, riding out their lives together, connected. Whether bonded physically or belonging to each other, I think of these dolls as a monument to my own enduring connections, or my most enduring connection, with my twin sister.
Their relationships define each other and dictate their form, just like us, but they, at the end of the day, play with each other and keep warm company with one another. I hope their illustrative quality expresses their contentness. Persistently alive, and I love these pieces as I wish to be loved.
Pieces:
“Building Block” 2025
Hot Rolled Sheet Steel, Cermaic Tiles
“Loop-dee-loop” 2025
Hot Rolled Steel Rods, Black Nickel Patina, Ceramic Knobs
“Twin Egg Cups” 2025
Slipcasted Stoneware, Glaze.
With a strong inspiration from lived spaces, furniture/functional design is a solid corner of my making inspiration. Working with metal and ceramic allows for a scale shift that informs my making process much deeper.
Lighting, and dinnerware are my next adventure I fear. Never stop experimenting!