Alice’s Hare – Stoneware and Porcelain Sculpture by Barbara Daeffler

Between Wonder, Imagination, and the Passage of Time

With Alice’s Hare, Barbara Daeffler invites us into a realm where imagination and reality gently intertwine. Crafted in stoneware and porcelain, this contemporary sculpture evokes the enchanting world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, while remaining deeply rooted in the artist’s exploration of memory, nature, and the traces left by time.

At first glance, the hare appears both familiar and mysterious. Seated quietly with its long ears reaching skyward, it seems alert to something beyond the visible world. Its attentive gaze suggests a silent invitation to follow, much like the mythical hare that leads Alice into a universe where ordinary rules no longer apply. Through this subtle reference, Barbara Daeffler transforms a simple animal figure into a powerful symbol of curiosity, discovery, and transformation.

Rather than creating a realistic portrait, the artist presents a poetic interpretation of the hare. The animal becomes a messenger between worlds: childhood and adulthood, dream and reality, memory and imagination. It embodies the timeless fascination of fairy tales and reminds us of the importance of wonder in our relationship with the world.

The richly textured surface plays a central role in the sculpture’s visual language. The body is covered with intricate organic patterns that evoke weathered fur, fossilized matter, or ancient traces embedded within the earth. These textures create a landscape of their own, inviting close observation and revealing new details from every angle. The work seems shaped not only by the artist’s hand but also by the passage of time itself.

The combination of stoneware and porcelain enhances this impression. Porcelain introduces luminosity and refinement, while stoneware provides depth and structure. Delicate shades of white, pale blue, turquoise, and mineral green flow across the surface, creating subtle chromatic variations that evoke frost, water, clouds, and distant horizons. These colours contribute to the sculpture’s dreamlike atmosphere and reinforce its connection to imagination.

A defining characteristic of Barbara Daeffler’s artistic practice is her ability to create sculptures that appear both ancient and contemporary. Alice’s Hare seems like a precious relic recovered from an imaginary archaeological site or the surviving fragment of a forgotten story. This dialogue between memory and invention gives the work a remarkable emotional resonance.

The eyes of the hare are particularly captivating. Carefully modelled and highly expressive, they establish an immediate connection with the viewer. Curiosity, gentleness, wisdom, and mystery coexist within its gaze, transforming the sculpture into a living presence rather than a static object.

Throughout mythology, folklore, and literature, hares have long been associated with intuition, transformation, rebirth, and passage between worlds. In Lewis Carroll’s universe, the hare becomes a guide toward the unknown and the unexpected. Barbara Daeffler embraces this rich symbolic heritage while creating a work that remains open to personal interpretation. Each viewer may discover their own story within the sculpture.

The technical mastery displayed throughout the piece is exceptional. The complexity of the textures, the precision of the modelling, and the subtle harmony of the glazes reveal a profound understanding of ceramic materials. Every surface contributes to a visual narrative in which matter itself becomes a repository of memory and imagination.

Through Alice’s Hare, Barbara Daeffler offers a sculpture that is both delicate and profound. Blending contemporary art, literary inspiration, and animal symbolism, the work invites contemplation and wonder. It reminds us that imagination remains one of the most powerful ways to reconnect with mystery, beauty, and the timeless stories that shape our lives.