Centered, Opening June 20

When local ceramicist A.C. Bell talks about getting “centered,” she isn’t alluding to her morning meditation practice or evening yoga session. Instead, Bell is referring to the process of centering clay on the wheel. “A problem in that step will be magnified in every step thereafter,” Bell warns. But, she adds, deliberately adding asymmetry to a mug or platter can sometimes be more interesting than perfection. “I’ve been playing around with altering pots lately,” says Bell, who will show her ceramic pieces during Centered, the summer group show at Flow Gallery. Other participating artists include Alyssa Sacora, a Fairview artist who crafts quilts from paper. According to Sacora, so much comes to mind when she considers the show’s theme. She thinks of the metaphorical meaning of centered, “as in grounded and rooted in myself, coming from a stable place, or finding stability to come back to in times of distress.” She also considers artistic applications, such as symmetry. “Symmetrical isn’t my go-to aesthetic,” she tells Asheville Made. “I prefer offset or thirds.” Gallery-goers can see the two women’s work, plus pieces from other artists across the region, starting in late June.