Deformed prototypes from the Drawn From Clay series. “Experiments that fail are so interesting because you discover new possibilities,” says Sterk. In this instance, two clays were mixed by accident — one that becomes liquid when fired at a high temperature, and another that turns purple when heated. The latter kept the pieces from disintegrating entirely, and the resulting greenish hue sparked the pair’s interest. “We wondered what would happened if we mixed other clays, and some of the experiments resulted in the most beautiful unexpected colors and strange shapes,” says Sterk.