Ceramics of Comfort

By Ellinor Forland

In this series of ceramics, San Antonio artist Ellinor Forland reflects on the theme of comfort. .

This piece shows a mother cradling her child. The mother figure’s curved edges, downcast eyes and rounded arms direct focus towards the child, whose dynamic face and arms seem almost to be in motion.

Ms. Forland is an artist who knows the impact that comfort can make in a life, particularly the life of a child.

In addition to being one of the beloved guiding spirits at the Center for the Medical Humanities and Ethics, Ms. Forland is a social worker who, in 1987, co-founded Child Advocates of San Antonio (CASA). CASA recruits, trains, and supervises court-appointed advocates for abused and neglected children, providing some of the most vulnerable kids in our community with a source of constancy and, of course, comfort.

This piece is based on a photograph of Ms. Forland as a three-year-old girl, walking with her grandfather. As a pediatrician, I can see the grandparent-child relationship in this duo: the grandfather looks out at the world and leans slightly over the child, laying a comforting hand on her, while she looks up trustingly at him. She knows that, with her grandfather, she is safe.

We at Pan Pals are grateful to be able to share the wonderful work being done by this community artist. We know that artists across San Antonio and South Texas are making work that could speak to our community now. If you have new art you’d like to share here, please contact us by email at Humanities@uthscsa.edu

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