Artist Reception: Ethan Arias - Modern Relics

The exhibition Modern Relics showcases work by Ethan Arias, an artist-in-residence at the Clay Studio of Missoula since 2024. Modern Relics is an exploration of materiality, process, and time. Through Ethan’s residency, he has focused on developing a body of atmospheric fired functional ceramic work. The soda firing process he uses envelops each piece in surfaces resembling rusted metal and aged cast iron, creating objects that carry the visual weight of age and use. The surfaces evoke corrosion, erosion, and accumulation, suggesting objects recovered from another time and place.