The artist behind Eros in Clay
Eric Stevens.
Queer figurative sculptures in hand-shaped clay.
The body.
A beginning.
Eric Stevens is the artist behind Eros in Clay, a practice centred on queer figurative sculptures in hand-shaped clay. The male body, sexuality and identity form its subject: three connected themes that bring the figure into focus as both a physical presence and a means of expression.
Eros in Clay introduces this work through the relationship between body and material. The figure gives the eye a familiar starting point; clay brings attention to surface, volume and form. Together, they offer a way into sculpture that is tactile, direct and open to looking closely.
Male form.
Desire. Identity.
The male body is the starting point. Sexuality and identity widen the conversation around it. Seen together, these themes invite attention to more than anatomy: to gesture, the way a figure occupies space, and the associations a viewer brings to it. The work can be approached through these questions without asking every viewer to arrive at the same reading.
Body & material
Shaped by hand.
Hand-shaped clay places the body and the material in close relation. A curve, an edge or a change in surface can redirect the eye across a figure. Looking closer brings those details into view; stepping back returns attention to the sculpture as a whole. This movement between detail and form offers another way to spend time with the work.
Spend time
with the work.
Continue with the collection, or get in touch with a question about the work. The conversation can begin with a particular sculpture, a detail that catches your eye, or something you would like to understand about Eros in Clay.
Design preview. Text awaits Eric’s approval. Eric’s portrait is based on a real photograph with an AI-edited setting. The other images are generated studies. The depicted atelier, equipment and artworks are illustrative.