Julia Haft-Candell’s interlocking forms

At Night Gallery downtown, Julia Haft-Candell’s ceramic sculptures are installed in the gallery’s outdoor space. The large ceramic forms are suggestive of two hands that connect in the center to imply interwoven fingers. Though “Interlocking Arch” (2019), in which two sets of “hand forms” connect to form a continuous circular shape, seems to transcend figuration, pointing towards the ouroboros symbol of a snake eating its own tail. In this way, Haft-Candell’s imagery is open-ended, suggestive of both human connection, and more metaphysical notions of eternity and infinity. The series of sculptures — made from clay-based mediums that suggest an intimate contact with the material — feel poignant amidst a pandemic reality that limits physical contact with friends and family. Together, the sculptures insist on the power of unity amid our current landscape.