Heather Hietala

Asheville artist, Heather Hietala, explores form, purpose, and design through experimentation with an array of materials. Many of Hietala’s sculptural objects embody sentiments of life and connection to one’s journey through it. The vessel is often found in Hietala’s work and attests to her personal history and narrative. The duality of the vessel aligns with the intrinsic nature of Hietala’s work. That is, vessels are both personal and universal – signifying the self as well as a journey. 

“Life is all about relationships. I am interested in duality and the idea of two (or more) things that are intrinsically bound together, made by the same hand.  Created separately, individual pieces and are presented in pairs or groupings that strengthen and highlight this sense of similarity and contrast. A dialogue is created by the contrast of 2D and 3D, of male and female, of clay and cloth, of hard and soft, of line and form.  The negative spaces and shadows enter into the dialogue, extending the pieces and representing the unsaid between individuals and alluding to the spiritual world.” – Heather Hietala