Clay remembers where we press it and the shape of our fingers. The direction we bend it in and the places where it cracks. And it can also hold whatever memories we embed or shape the material into. But for New York-based artist Sasha Feldman, one crucial aspect of the connection between clay and memory is how the material triggers a sense of déjà vu. The muscle memory of working in the medium for over a decade produces “clayjà vus,” moments of familiarity that link his distinct experiences of making sculptures across time and space.

Clayjà vu is also Feldman’s playful way of describing the nested intersections between himself and Chicago-based artist William J. O’Brien, with whom he shares the exhibition space at Ki Smith Gallery in New York. For one, their work shares aesthetic and conceptual synergy, establishing a visual back-and-forth that vibrates with bouncing energy. Engaging their work as a pair leaves a lingering sensation of reminiscence. Both artists also look to the past in their practices, channeling their inner children to draw inspiration for their sculptures. They create work that, while at times biographical, taps into the uninhibited imagination of the preteen psyche. At the center of this nesting doll of connections lies the moment in which the working relationship between the artists comes full circle.

Breaking out in a riot of colors— a palette of cheery saturated primaries combined with darker tones—textures, and shapes, the artists’ sculptures seem like dimensional versions of children’s imaginary creatures. While some forms are crisp and sharp, others are murkier and a bit hazy, like the feeling of déjà vu itself. The figurative sculptures, in particular, provoke the question: is this a friend or foe? Is this the stuff of dreams or nightmares? The answers are personal, not prescribed by the artists but to be explored by those who encounter their work. The more abstract work could be read as expressive conglomerations of geometry. Still, they could also be forts, playgrounds, or architectural monuments to possibility. Structures that, without question, occupy the same universe as their figures.

Although Feldman and O’Brien have distinctive approaches and styles, both artists explore the theme of pre-adolescent innocence by making work that prioritizes intuitive building above perfection. Feldman packs his alien forms inspired by sci-fi with humor but does not go too far into escapism by keeping them contained with thought-out color blocking and quirky molting on their surfaces. O’Brien more readily uses scratches, punctures, and unexpected glaze combinations across the surfaces of his sculptures to add an almost chaotic energy that, at times, reads violent and painful. In conversation, their work presents a duality of ups and downs—a landscape of the joy and uncertainty of navigating the world through the eyes of a young mind.

This exhibition also commemorates the evolution of the relationship between O’Brien and Feldman, from professor/mentor and student/mentee, respectively, to devoted artists and good friends working in a similar context for a decade or more who now get to share a stage in Clayjà Vu. In 2009 Feldman took O’Brien’s first ceramics class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where the latter is now the chair of the ceramics department. Although Feldman signed up for the course on a whim, O’Brien convinced him to take clay seriously as a sculptural medium, becoming an influential figure in Feldman’s career. With O’Brien’s mentorship, Feldman continued using the medium while working on his BFA, eventually obtaining a studio on campus where he challenged himself and others to build bigger, more provocative works until his graduation in 2012.

For Feldman, it was “a dream come true” when O’Brien insisted on doing this show with him. But O’Brien, who is adamant about breaking down hierarchies, squirms at the idea of being put on a pedestal in the story of Feldman’s career. While the artists might be at different stages of their vocations— Feldman emerging onto the scene and O’Brien an established voice in the field—this exhibition reframes the narrative to build a space where their work coexists as equal. The world of Clayjà Vu is a collection of compelling memories, that are not necessarily precise moments in time, but rather a combination of emotions and sensations from each artist. Together on this platform, these pieces generate new visions while tickling our childhood memories.

— Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy is a Los Angeles-based curator and writer of contemporary art and craft with a special interest in ceramics.