Drawing on personal memories and abstract forms, Gulbran’s Eyebowl series - a play on words - embodies the central focus of her ceramics practice. As the artist notes, “The Eyebowl is the origin of my ceramics practice.” And the personal comes vividly to life in these pieces: “The first bowl was made as an homage to my cat Huckleberry after he died. He had a white spot on one side of his muzzle. Many of the Eyebowls have only one white cheek circle on the cat face in tribute to him. Through making these small works I developed my glazing technique, and out of these bowls my ceramics evolved into larger works with whole animals and expanded imagery. This was Huckleberry’s gift to me.”

The series exudes intimacy not only through its backstory but also in its physical presence and intent. “I think of these as relationship bowls,” Gulbran explains. “They are intimate objects that one can cradle in their hands and look at face to face. They have a human face and a cat face. As a single vessel with two faces, they represent a connection to another being or to another aspect of oneself.” These relationship bowls blur the line between art and companionship, inviting viewers to cradle a bit of Gulbran’s world, Huckleberry’s memory, and perhaps even a reflection of themselves.