BUTTERFLY BONES: Ceramic Sculptures by Genevieve VanZandt

Butterfly Bones artists statement

Butterfly Bones is an alliterative phrase that invites viewers to consider the intersection of the whimsical and the dark. At first glance, the pairing may seem contradictory or absurd, yet closer examination reveals subtle parallels. The fragile beauty of an insect mirrors the strength and vulnerability of skeletal structures-forms that endure while quietly awaiting the passage of time. Both embody transformation and impermanence.This same metamorphosis is echoed in the material change of clay into ceramic.

Using a combination of hand-built and slip-cast techniques, I construct each piece in a process similar to collage. I collect, organize, and archive individual components, allowing each small object to spark ideas about how it may later interact with others.

Once enough elements have accumulated, I combine fired ceramic pieces with raw clay, layering imagery and forms. The work is fired and glazed multiple times, resulting in a finished kaleidoscope of imagery and color. The final sculpture functions as a three-dimensional ceramic collage, where subtle visual metaphors of transformation, fragility, and resilience coexist.

Got you — here’s a polished press release–style version that still feels artsy but professional and easy for media to use:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Butterfly Bones Art Exhibition Opens February 19 at DSC

Detroit, MI — DSC is pleased to present Butterfly Bones, a ceramic art exhibition on view for one night only on February 19, 2026, from 5:00–8:00 PM.

Butterfly Bones explores the intersection of fragility and resilience, whimsy and darkness. The alliterative title invites viewers to reflect on transformation—both physical and metaphorical—drawing parallels between the delicate beauty of insects, the enduring presence of skeletal forms, and the metamorphosis of clay into ceramic.

Using a combination of hand-built and slip-cast techniques, the artist constructs sculptural works through a collage-like process. Individual ceramic components are collected, organized, and archived before being layered together with raw clay. Through multiple firings and glazes, the pieces evolve into richly detailed, three-dimensional ceramic collages filled with imagery, texture, and color.

The resulting works offer subtle visual metaphors of impermanence, vulnerability, and strength—inviting viewers to pause and consider transformation as both a natural and necessary state of being.

Exhibition Details:
📍 Detroit Shipping Company (2nd Floor) - Bridge Lounge
📅 February 19, 2026
🕔 5:00–8:00 PM

Artists bio

Genevieve VanZandt grew up in Southeast Michigan. Working at her family's bakery in her youth gave her a desire to work with her hands. Learning to sew and design her own clothes at a young age gave her a sense of artistic identity. She would later go on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western Michigan University. She has participated at many art centers as a resident artist, studio manager, assistant instructor, and instructor at Odyssey Clay Works, Watershed center for ceramic arts, Penland school of craft and Haystack Mountain school of craft. She has also worked in automotive design as a 3D clay sculptor. Genevieve is currently making art full time from her home studio in Detroit MI.

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