Jasmine Cardenas

I came into this mentorship looking for community and a welcoming creative space that was open to experimentation. Joining the group as a painter with little formal ceramic education, I was incredibly grateful to my cohort and mentor, Julie Moon, for the knowledge they shared and the guidance and feedback they offered throughout the program.

I learned so much about glaze chemistry, hand-building, and the broader professional development of my clay practice. The encouragement and support I received pushed me toward my goal of creating the largest sculpture I’ve made to date. I truly looked forward to our meetings and am so grateful for the community, knowledge, and confidence I gained through this experience.

@_jasminecardenas

Jasmine Cardenas, Dos Caras, 17" x 13" x 11", clay, fired stone pigment, $1300, 2026

Dos Caras explores the intersection of traditional figurative busts and pre-Columbian Latin American sculpture, drawing from historical influences and my own ancestral heritage. This zoomorphic sculpture features two androgynous, otherworldly faces that act as masks, reflecting dualities of our selves, the different identities we create and present to the world.

Parts of the surface remain unglazed, exposing the contrasting colours and textures of the mixed clay bodies. Other areas are coated with glazes made from crushed stone pigments, which I processed and tested through ongoing material experimentation during this mentorship. These pigments include stones I collected near my home in Hamilton, ON, as well as natural stone pigments generously shared by Tokyo-based collaborator, Kouan Hashimoto, whose research investigates their potential as sustainable materials for art-making. This contribution expanded my material references and supported this stone to glaze exploration.

Together, Dos Caras brings material, identity, and cultural history into dialogue, connecting the past with the present.

Jasmine Cardenas, Dos Caras, 17" x 13" x 11", clay, fired stone pigment, $1300, 2026

Jasmine Cardenas

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