Christopher Russell’s new Heirloom Vessels collection comprises seven unique hand-built ceramic vessels that explore the enduring relationship between form, surface, and memory. Richly layered in shades of blue and green and accented with luminous platinum, the collection marks a new direction in Russell’s practice with his first use of a platinum luster.

A painter and draftsman before turning his attention to ceramics, Russell approaches each vessel as a canvas, translating the language of painting into three-dimensional form. His sculptural shapes draw from the geometric vocabulary of Cubism and the rhythmic abstraction of Orphism, while his surfaces are built through a precise yet spontaneous process of stenciling, glazing, and sgraffito.

Simple geometric motifs overlap and interlock across the vessels, creating animated compositions that shift between graphic clarity and tactile depth. The result is unmistakably Russell: dynamic structures animated by energetic, highly considered surfaces.

For Russell, however, the inspiration for this collection is deeply personal. Reflecting on a chair that had belonged to his parents and was promised to him years before their deaths, he began thinking about the meaning of an heirloom as an object that carries not only beauty, but memory, history, and a sense of connection across generations. Heirloom Vessels grew from that reflection. “I got to thinking about what I would make that might become another family’s heirloom, and this collection is what I created as a result.” says the artist.

The subtle metallic glow of the platinum luster catches the light against Russell’s cool palette of blues and greens, recalling objects traditionally associated with ceremony and permanence such as wedding rings, candlesticks, and watches. For Russell, the platinum is not simply an ornamental accent; it becomes part of the collection’s larger meditation on the passage of time and the value we place on objects that endure.

Each vessel is entirely hand-built and individually decorated, embodying the balance of precision and chance that is central to Russell’s ceramic practice. As the kiln completes the transformation, carefully conceived compositions acquire an element of unpredictability, making each work singular.