u/KUSTceramics

A couple of humpback whale ceramic sculptures I recently finished.

I build the main form in clay, then refine everything by hand — shaping the body, carving the face and lines, and adding the small raised details one by one.

I’ve always loved humpbacks because they somehow feel massive and gentle at the same time, so they’re one of my favorite animals to translate into clay.

I’ve always thought hammerheads look like they were designed by someone having way too much fun, so I turned one into a ceramic lamp.

I start with clay casting for the main body, then refine the shape by hand — especially the head, fins, and those long flowing lines across the body.

I make ceramic whale shark lamps, and this is one of my favorite forms to come back to.

This one starts with clay casting for the main body, and then I build the rest of the character by hand — refining the shape, carving the fins and facial details, and then adding the full surface texture dot by dot.

I serve in Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, and part of my role is creating ceramic pieces for fundraising. This ceramic lion lamp is from a series I made specifically for the corps. It’s called Lembyk Lev — a piece that mixes a folkloric Ukrainian character with the militarized reality we live in now. The whole series was created for the 3rd Army Corps, and all profit from it goes directly to support the corps’ needs.