Sarah Koik’s work balances form and function, using unexpected negative space to “bring attention to things that often go unnoticed.” Her pitchers, missing large chunks of walls and spouts, make practical use seemingly impossible. But the LA artist’s control of form means that you can pour through the spacious circular spouts of Why Not Two (2017) – functional indeed.

Each of Brie Ruais’ performative creations begins with a set of instructions. Those directions become the titles of her works, as in Spreading Out From Center Turning Left (2018), with the movements of the Brooklyn artist’s body part of the finished product.

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The work of Raven Halfmoon makes use of the Plains states and stories from her heritage; born in Oklahoma, and now living in Texas, she is a member of the Caddo Nation. The Buzzard People and the Buffalo (2018) tells one of these stories, which, she says, “teach our future generations about history and our way to live life.”

Matt Repsher, based in Santa Fe and now on a fellowship at Penland, draws much of his inspiration from architecture. In its simple, geometric patterns, Basket (2016) calls to mind ancient building motifs, at once a vessel and a sturdy structure.

Dirk Staschke re-creates “fine art” paintings in the earthiest medium, blurring definitions as he turns two dimensions into three. The backside of Soliloquy #3 (2016) reveals the structure bearing the maker’s all-too-human fingerprints, which undergirds the perfectly arranged bouquet.