I (Dallin Reber) started making these kind of coral reef mugs in college, but most of my professors told me that they didn’t qualify as ‘fine art’, or that they were too kitschy. I decided to ignore that feedback, and continued to make the art the I love. I have a deep love and connection with the ocean, and I have adored learning about the different animals that live in it since I was a kid. While visiting family in Palau in late 2023, I had the chance to see manta rays while out snorkeling, and I have been enamored with them ever since. I did some research on the manta ray, and I turned that experience into this Manta Ray mug and video!
I use a blend of stoneware and porcelain clay that I’ve run through a food processor until it is a frosting-like consistency. I add some ceramic stains to give it color, and then I use regular cake frosting tips to pipe the coral! The mug body I make using slip-casting molds that I made, and the manta rays were sculpted by hand.