Baker Artist Portfolios

Sam Karlishev is a ceramic sculptor based in Baltimore, Maryland, whose work delves into world-building, subconscious imagery, and storytelling through form. They are deeply inspired by the human condition, dance, psychoacoustics, resilience, clay, and more. Sam was born in Brooklyn, NY and later raised in rural Maryland. They have been practicing ceramics since 2020 and create intuitive and layered sculptures that merge illustrations with dimensional surfaces. Their practice often begins with hand building, allowing forms to emerge organically suggesting characters, internal landscapes, and dreamlike architectures. These sculptures often blur the line between plant, animal, and vessel, offering visions from imagined ecosystems. Sam is interested in the processing qualities ceramic sculpture possess, they aim to facilitate spaces where people can work with their subconscious through clay.