# Sit With Me - Bench

The form is solid and generous, the kind of piece that holds its ground without effort. Bold geometric sections of teal, red, orange, navy, yellow, and white move across the surface with a rhythm that feels both structured and alive. A large crackled circle sits near the centre of one face, its drawn lines locked in permanently by the kiln. As a painter-sculptor, Gustavson treats each form as a three-dimensional canvas. Each face carries a distinct composition, yet the piece reads as a whole from any angle. Functional in form and fully committed to being art - works indoors and out with equal ease.

[Browse all works by Michael Gustavson](/collections/michael-gustavson)

## Details

- **Price:** 8900.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Art Scout
- **Type:** Ceramic Sculpture
- **Tags:** bench, buy original art online, California artist, ceramic sculpture, collector art, functional art, Michael Gustavson, raku

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 8900.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Sit With Me Bench – studio raku ceramic bench by Gustavson with bold geometric teal, red, orange, navy, yellow, and white sections, large crackled drawn circle locked by kiln, each face a distinct composition reading as whole from any angle
- Sit With Me Bench by Gustavson – detail of bold geometric color sections with crackled circle and deep indigo weight-anchoring lower left in ceramic bench
- Sit With Me Bench by Gustavson – full view of solid generous ceramic bench functioning as art indoors and outdoors with equal ease
- Sit With Me Bench by Gustavson – close-up of raku process treating each color area differently in smooth saturated and crackle-textured surfaces
- Sit With Me Bench by Gustavson – ceramic bench in room or garden showing distinct face composition and full geometric presence
- Sit With Me - Bench
- Sit With Me - Bench
- Sit With Me - Bench
- Sit With Me - Bench

## Additional Information

- **Dimensions:** 27"×39"×13"
- **Artist Material:** Raku-fired glazed ceramic bench
- **Artist Name:** Michael Gustavson
- **About The Artist Link:** https://www.artscout.pro/collections/michael-gustavson

### About The Artist Content

Michael Gustavson is a California-based ceramic artist who builds upon the traditional Japanese process of raku, reimagining it through a distinctly contemporary and highly personal methodology. His work bridges free-form organic sculpture and painterly abstraction, distinguished by unusually vivid, luminous color rarely achieved in ceramic sculpture.

Central to Gustavson’s practice is a firing approach he has developed and refined over decades, evolving from but ultimately departing from traditional raku. Rather than removing works from the kiln, he introduces pine needles at lower temperatures to create the reduction atmosphere while the pieces remain inside. This highly individual, studio-developed method allows him to work at significant scale and achieve exceptional chromatic depth and painterly nuance in glazed ceramic. Few ceramic artists pursue color with this level of painterly ambition.

Over a four-decade career, Gustavson has pushed the expressive potential of clay, developing a controlled yet highly responsive surface language. Describing himself as a painter-sculptor, he treats each form as a three-dimensional canvas built through layered glazes, textures, and color interactions. His vessels often suggest the human figure in motion, while his wall reliefs activate negative space as an integral compositional force. Large-scale outdoor sculptures and benches extend this painterly vision into powerful tectonic forms.

Inspired by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock, Gustavson’s surfaces often feature controlled dripping and expressive movement, translating the energy of abstract painting into fired clay.

Gustavson earned his MFA from San José State University in 1980. His work is held in major public and private collections worldwide, including IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Seagate, Cranbrook Museum, and Eastman Kodak.

---

> Source: [Art Scout](https://www.artscout.pro/products/sit-with-me)
> Updated: 2026-05-20