Julia Karrys
Julia Karrys is an art therapist based in Arizona and an internationally recognized ceramic sculptor. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a licensed therapist, she specializes in treating grief, trauma, anxiety, and depression, integrating her clinical expertise with her studio practice to design mental health programs rooted in the universal language of art.
Julia’s sculptural work focuses on clay masks and figurative forms that explore the emotional weight of grief, identity, and resilience. Her solo exhibition HIGH FIRE examines the shared temperature at which both clay becomes permanent and bodies turn to ash—symbolizing the transformative nature of loss. The show draws from her first poetry collection, Death Do Us Part, and her forthcoming second book, Maiden Name (2025).
Through her community workshops and exhibitions, Julia invites others to engage with art as a means of healing and self-discovery. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the SEA(S) International Art Exhibit in Kefalonia, Greece.
Artist Statement
My work lives at the intersection of art and healing. As both a ceramic sculptor and a licensed art therapist, I use clay to explore the emotional terrain of grief, identity, and transformation. Clay holds memory, responds to touch, and releases hurt from the body. In my sculptural practice, I create masks and figurative forms to explore the ways attachment is formed, broken and rebuilt, both in our relationship with others and ultimately ourselves. In my sculptural practice, I create masks and figurative forms that investigate the stories we carry, the identities we shape, and the parts of ourselves we often grieve or abandon. My solo exhibition HIGH FIRE centers around the idea that clay and bodies fire at the same temperature—one becoming permanent, the other returning to ash. Through both my studio practice and community-based workshops, I aim to create spaces where art becomes a vessel for reflection, connection, and repair.
