When ceramic artist Wade Boswell debuted his first solo exhibition, “Unmasking the Monstrous,” at Artspace Community Arts Center during the Greenfield Arts Walk, it wasn’t just a professional milestone. The collection of hand-built sculptures directly explores themes of healing and self-acceptance, challenging visitors to leave with a new perspective on the personal “monsters” they carry beneath the surface.
According to Boswell, who has been working with ceramics for roughly 20 years, the exhibition also represents a deeply personal journey.
“I think that in our culture, we have an aversion to things that are hard,” Boswell said. “I have a desire for us to look at the things that are hard.”
The earliest sculptures in the exhibition were born from Boswell’s own experiences with identity and internal struggles. Over time, however, those figures evolved. While the first pieces reflect raw emotional pain, newer sculptures embrace those same “monstrous” parts with humor, compassion and even joy.
One sculpture, “Cutie Pie,” emerged unexpectedly during the creative process. “She just told me to love myself,” Boswell recalled.
Another piece, “Pick Me Pick Me,” represents fears of exclusion, while “The Maw” depicts feelings of isolation through a small, frightened figure sheltered inside a larger creature. Together, the collection illustrates Boswell’s belief that confronting difficult emotions is an essential part of healing.
“The monstrousness of the world is also the monstrousness that’s inside of us,” Boswell said. “If we can unmask it all and talk about it, then we can address it instead of avoiding it.”
While Boswell — who is originally from Pennsylvania but has called western Massachusetts home since 2017 — has always enjoyed creating art, pursuing it professionally came much later. He holds master’s degrees in education and divinity and also works as a chaplain and spiritual director. Those experiences continue to shape his artistic approach.
“I want to hold people’s relationship to themselves in the world and how they make sense and meaning of it,” Boswell said.
That connection between spirituality and sculpture is especially evident in one of the exhibition’s featured works, “Holding Ourselves Together,” which asks how people find strength during life’s most difficult moments.
Boswell’s love of sculpture began in 2003 while taking a figure sculpting class. A classroom exercise inspired by fantastical creatures transformed the way he approached ceramics. Rather than striving for anatomical perfection, Boswell found freedom in creating monsters.
“Monsters could look like anything,” Boswell said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
That philosophy also influences the way Boswell teaches. He regularly instruct ceramic classes at Artspace and The Handle Factory in Shelburne Falls, encouraging students to embrace creativity without fear of making mistakes.
Several sculptures in the exhibition also evolved in unexpected ways while they were being built. Boswell explained that the finished pieces often reveal themselves gradually rather than beginning with a fixed design.
One of the largest works in the exhibition, “We Just Want to Be Loved,” consists of three interconnected figures. According to Boswell, it took longer to complete than any other sculpture in the show. The piece focuses on vulnerability, comfort and the universal need for compassion.
“We all have so much pain,” Boswell said. “How do we allow ourselves to be held? How do we hold the parts of ourselves that are scared? How do we hold each other?”
That message of connection lies at the heart of the exhibition. Rather than asking viewers simply to admire the craftsmanship, Boswell hopes each sculpture encourages personal reflection.
“I want to give people permission to be with the hard parts of themselves,” Boswell explained. “It’s part of life, and it’s not only okay, it’s essential.”
The exhibition also marks Boswell’s first opportunity to present an entire gallery filled exclusively with their work, something he describes as both exciting and rewarding after years of creating individual pieces for group exhibitions.
All of the sculptures in “Unmasking the Monstrous” are available for purchase, with prices ranging from approximately several hundred to several thousand dollars. Boswell noted that sculptures invite a different relationship than other forms of art.
“I would just encourage people to invite a sculpture into their home,” Boswell said.
Following the exhibition, Boswell will continue teaching ceramics courses throughout the fall at Artspace and The Handle Factory. He will also lead three “Spirituality of the Monstrous” conversations among trans folks at Artspace in August.
Ultimately, Boswell hopes visitors leave the exhibition feeling less alone.
“I want people to see the monstrous parts that they’re dealing with reflected back to them,” Boswell said. “And to know that we all are dealing with the monsters inside ourselves and in the world, and that we need each other.”
“Unmasking the Monstrous” is on display through Aug. 28. The gallery is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday 4 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit artspacegreenfield.org/unmasking-the-monstrous.
