Jocelyn Y. Howard, a ceramics sculptor, creates surreal figures that explore identity, gender, and other social topics. Howard immersed herself in ceramics after studying under Michael Sherrill in 2005. Since, she’s amassed a collection of strange and absorbing characters, all reflecting both the potential and otherworldliness of the material.
“Sculpting the human form is an active and fierce rebellion for me,” she says, in a statement. “My work is a reaction to the shame society teaches us to have surrounding sexuality and gender identity. Each piece is a tangible stripping away and rejection of that shame. I use fragmented body parts often resembling dolls or puppets to emphasize play, discovery, and vulnerability. They also manifest, for me, the patchwork nature of the human experience.”
The artist typically lists materials including “clay, slip, underglaze, stain, glaze,” and “acrylic.” Many of the figures measure a few long, adding to the strangeness of these toy-like creations.
In 
Rainbow-colored mannequin legs, animal bones, skulls, and gold- these are just a few of the materials used in 
Inside her workshop, Sabrina Gruss re-animates found natural materials and animal remains into eerie sculptures. The artist has said she's inspired by her own family's history and a multi-faceted view of death in her works. In terms of inspiration within fine art, she cites outsider and fringe art, as well as Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.