Sarah Hicks’ critter-esque ceramic sculptures bring playful focus to any coffee table or bookshelf, and the best part? These aren’t run-of-the-mill knickknacks shipped by the dozen from some distant factory; they’re handmade works of art by a School of the Art Institute of Chicago grad who thoughtfully composes and shapes them in her Ravenswood studio. Hicks’ first solo exhibition kicks off at Thomas Robertello Gallery today. Titled New Work, it’s comprised of 15 sculptures that imaginatively meld mass-produced objects and organic elements with ceramic stoneware and porcelain—it’s almost as if Goober, shown above, might suddenly caterpillar-crawl across the living room. Hicks calls this orange glazed creation a ‘happy little accident,’ and notes that its visceral belly and bulbous qualities create a strong sense of motion and life. New Work is the result of Hicks’ biological research of microscopic specimen, all of which are “on the level of a smaller world,” she says. The exhibition opens with a reception tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery on West Randolph.

Image Courtesy of Thomas Robertello Gallery