I made this in Oaxaca a month or so ago, using barro negro, the black clay that comes from the village of San Bartolo. They don’t usually sell their clay to outsiders, so I felt lucky to get a chunk. It was weird to sculpt with — very smooth, little grit or heft, felt a little like working with porcelain. I made a few smaller pieces then this one, that just came out. I hardly remember how I even did it. But it just poured out and was powerful. After I finished hollowing, which was tricky, I set it out to dry slowly. Over a few days I began to see a crack or two developing. Then more cracks. And the following day it had just basically imploded.