Coral in Our Memory 

Experimental & Innovative Exhibition
Mainframed Studios
Des Moines, Iowa
August 7-26, 2026 

It's Touching: Art You Can Feel Exhibition 
2026 Iowa Competition & Exhibition 
The Hearst Center for the Arts
​Cedar Falls, Iowa
June 4 - August 2, 2026 

This artwork presents two clay-sculpted human figures with coral forms emerging from their heads as symbolic representations of the ocean and Earth’s water resources. One figure is an infant with clay-sculpted coral protected beneath a glass bubble, while the other is an elderly man with iron-wired coral growing from his head. Together, the two figures represent the transformation of coral reefs over time and humanity’s impact on marine ecosystems.
The baby beneath the glass bubble represents our memory of coral in its original, living form. Created from unfired clay, the infant figure remains soft and flexible, symbolizing life, growth, and vulnerability. The healthy coral on the baby’s head reflects the beauty and vitality of marine ecosystems before human destruction. The glass bubble preserves this fragile image like a memory or relic, suggesting something precious that may one day disappear.
In contrast, the adult figure is covered with wire coral, twisted metal, paper, plastic, and other waste materials, symbolizing the pollution humans dump into the ocean. From a distance, the waste appears colorful and coral-like, but upon closer inspection, it reveals the harsh reality of ocean pollution. Unlike the baby figure, the man’s clay sculpture has been fired, making it pale and hardened, symbolizing the death and loss of coral life. His melancholic expression reflects grief and concern, while the broken clay coral scattered across the ocean basin appears fragile and damaged, representing the destruction of coral reefs caused by human activity.

This project also aims to educate children about protecting the ocean environment. The colorful waste materials suggest how everyday objects—such as balloon wrapping paper and plastic packaging—may appear harmless or joyful, especially to children, yet eventually become part of our ecosystem and threaten marine life and coral reefs.

The sculpture invites tactile and sensory engagement through its varied textures, encouraging viewers to experience the work through both touch and sight. The smoothness of the clay contrasts with the rough, uneven coral-like forms emerging from the head, creating a physical dialogue between natural beauty and human intervention. For viewers who are blind or visually impaired, the hard surface of the fired sculpture and the enclosing glass bubble create an imaginative sensory experience. The bubble suggests the presence of something remembered but inaccessible—like coral reefs that may no longer exist. Experiencing the work through touch alone will make the infant figure under the glass bubble invisible and thus encourages viewers to imagine what has been lost and to reflect on how our oceans would feel without biodiversity and marine life.

The coral structures symbolize creativity, thought, and environmental awareness, yet they are constructed from discarded plastic, paper, and everyday waste materials. This choice of materials introduces a layered sensory experience: soft fibers, sharp edges, and rigid fragments mirror the complexity and disruption of polluted ecosystems. As viewers move closer and physically engage with the sculpture, they become more aware of the materials and their environmental impact.

​From a distance, the work appears vibrant and contemplative, resembling thinkers crowned with colorful coral. Up close, however, it becomes an immersive experience that encourages reflection on daily habits and humanity’s impact on the environment. By inviting touch and close observation, the sculpture deepens both emotional and physical awareness, encouraging viewers to reconsider their relationship with waste, water, and the natural world.