Artists often express themselves through their artwork, either capturing the world around them or revealing something from within. Junior Darya Yekta has been attracting attention in Ceramics and Sculpture 1, through his interesting pieces that draw from on his background.

Yekta came to RHS from Iran to live with his family during the summer of 2017. He has always had a fondness for art, he said, often visiting art museums in his free time and practicing sketching back in Iran and in the U.S. Drawing inspiration from these sources, he especially took a liking to the fields of art that require artists to physically construct the composition, like ceramics and sculpture.

“I love art, but mostly I like visual arts; that I have to touch and feel the art. You can put more emotions in your piece and put more effort and value in it,” Yekta said.

A trip to a New York art gallery in 2016 inspired Yekta to pursue visual arts because of the level of expression allowed.

“I like that you can show your feelings with the things that you make,” Yekta said.

Ceramics is the art of creating pottery, sculpture and other projects mostly by shaping clay. RHS holds three ceramics classes;: the entry level Ceramics and Sculpture 1, intermediate level Ceramics and Sculpture 2 and 3, and the advanced level AP Studio Art 3D.

Yekta has already captured the attention of peers and staff with his attention to detail and passion for learning.

“[Yekta]’s not afraid to rework things and get feedback and is always trying to identify ways to improve, and I think that’s the sign of a true artist,” ceramics teacher Michael Sandstrom said.

Yekta is a perfectionist when it comes to his work, and is constantly trying to improve in ceramics and sculpture, Sandstrom said. He enjoys learning about the fundamentals and putting his own touch on his pieces. Though the year is still early, Yekta said he has enjoyed all the projects he has worked on, such as making a coil vessel vase and hand built clay box.

When it comes to putting his emotions in his work, Yekta uses unique designs and finds inspiration around him. Yekta also uses vibrant glazes after his compositions are fired to create a lively appearance to viewers of his pieces.

While Yekta’s passion is apparent to many, he also inspires the people around him, both constructionally and motivationally.

“I think that [Yekta] dedicates a lot of his time into his pieces. His pieces are created from a genuine place [in his heart],” sophomore Isha Lallsa said.