Like many artists searching for their next idea, St. Louis ceramicist Sandy Kaplan started by looking backward in order to move forward. While reading about Pablo Picasso and the women who shaped his work, Kaplan found herself drawn to the stories behind the paintings. The result is a new exhibit at Craft Alliance that reimagines Picasso’s muses in clay.
“When I came across the article about Picasso’s muses, it gave me a deeper perspective of these women who he was drawn to and how these women were reflected in his paintings,” Kaplan said.
“Each of these women played a crucial role in shaping Picasso’s artistic journey. They were not mere subjects but active participants in his creative process.”
Building a circle around Picasso
The project eventually took shape as a sculptural centerpiece titled “Picasso and His Muses.”
“The six-sided vessel that I created ‘Picasso and His Muses’ allowed me to sculpt each one of these important women in Picasso’s life and a replica of a specific painting of that woman,” Kaplan said. “Picasso’s bust is seated on a pedestal that has a turntable so he can ‘gaze’ down at each woman and think about how important they were in his life instead of how difficult their lives were with him.”
The six muses represented on the vessel are Fernande Olivier, Olga Khoklova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque.
Several additional sculptures in the exhibit extend the theme. Four pieces will be paired with wall plaques showing the paintings that inspired them, including works such as “Girl Before a Mirror,” “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” “La Toilette” and Françoise Gilot’s “La Répétition.”
Studying Picasso up close
Kaplan has seen several of the original paintings in person, including works at the Musée National Picasso-Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. While working on “Seated Woman,” she also discovered the original hangs at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
A career evolving in clay
“After over 35 years at Craft Alliance when I first came there in 1989, I look back at how my artwork has evolved and how my creativity has matured over the years,” she said.
She credits several people for shaping her work, including her first hand building instructor, Jim Ibur and artist Buzz Spector.
Spector, an artist and Washington University professor, has noted that Kaplan’s work often invites viewers to move around a piece, discovering how the outside of the vessel connects with what’s happening inside it — an idea that carries into the circular design of “Picasso and His Muses.”
Rather than seeing the exhibit as a milestone, Kaplan views it as part of an ongoing process.
“I think of it as a continuous flow of my body of work, enjoying each piece that I make and still excited when I see one of my sculptures come out of the kiln,” she said.
Event Details
What: Picasso and His Muses: Ceramic sculptures by Sandy Kaplan
When: March 6 – April 26, 2026.
Opening reception: Friday, March 20. TBD
Where: Craft Alliance,5080 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108
More Info: craftalliance.org
