Terra Cognita. Soil Horizon 01 (2024) Original Clay Sculpture by Maryia Virshych

Terra Cognita. Soil Horizon is a handbuilt ceramic relief made from white stoneware and painted with green, red, and brown engobes. A metallic glaze adds a subtle holographic sheen. Its cracked, crater-like surface reveals a light base beneath, evoking the appearance of scorched, nutrient-rich soil.

High-fired at 1250 °C using locally sourced clay near Barcelona, the piece is mounted in a floating frame and ready to hang.

The Terra Cognita series draws from satellite images of remote terrains—salt flats, quarries, deserts—where natural and artificial blur. From a distance, these landscapes lose their clear definitions and become part of a continuous, ambiguous surface.

Rather than judging these places, the work treats them as one shared terrain, reflecting a relationship with nature shaped by both awe and disconnection. These landscapes also echo a personal sense of estrangement—a search for belonging in the unreachable. Translated into clay, they offer a tactile connection to the distant, inviting viewers to find presence in unfamiliar ground.

Materials used:

Ceramic: Stoneware, Glazes

Details:

• Clay sculpture on Other
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 42 x 27.5 x 7cm (framed)
• Framed and ready to hang
• Signed certificate of authenticity
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative