Pair of “Maple Seed” Ceramic Sculptures by Alice R. Ballard (2011)

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Description:
Pair of ceramic sculptures titled “Maple Seed” (2011) by celebrated American ceramic artist Alice R. Ballard (b. 1945, South … Read more Description:
Pair of ceramic sculptures titled “Maple Seed” (2011) by celebrated American ceramic artist Alice R. Ballard (b. 1945, South Carolina). Each piece is signed to the underside and showcases Ballard’s masterful ability to transform natural forms into elegant, organic abstractions.

This pair embodies her lifelong exploration of nature’s rhythms — translating delicate seed pods into timeless sculptural works. The surfaces display subtle tonal variations and gentle texture, evoking both fragility and resilience.

Medium: Ceramic

Year: 2011

Dimensions: approx. 10” H × 4.5” W × 1” D (each)

Condition: Minimal surface wear, excellent overall condition.

Quantity: 2 sculptures (sold as a pair)

Signed: Yes (underside)

About the Artist:
Alice R. Ballard is widely regarded for her elegant, organic ceramic forms inspired by the natural world. Born in Florence, South Carolina, she grew up living around the world before settling in the Carolinas, where she continues to live and work.

Ballard earned her MFA from the University of Michigan and has spent over five decades as both an artist and educator. Her distinguished teaching career includes posts at Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont, Francis Marion University, and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities.

Her career has been recognized with a Fulbright Grant to India, two SC Arts Commission Fellowships, and support from the NEA. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major collections including:

Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Mint Museum, Charlotte

Greenville County Museum of Art

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

Ballard is represented by Blue Spiral 1 (Asheville, NC) and Cerbera Gallery (Kansas City, MO). She is celebrated for elevating simple natural objects — seed pods, shells, and other organic forms — into serene, transcendent works of art. See less