Over the last several years, the American artist David Klamen has been collecting old objects and mementos, which he then transforms into intricate ceramic sculptures that celebrate personal and collective histories. “I initially conceived of them as a heap of elements that reference our buried history of experiences and memories,” he explains. Klamen is best known for his paintings, which are semiotically complex. “Much like my paintings, [my ceramics] disclose themselves very slowly. You can’t really see one of these quickly. They ask you to walk around them and discover imagery over time.” That “imagery” includes figurines, crockery, and household items. Klamen affixes them into a form and then glazes them over, binding them as a single object. Twelve of these “life trophies” are on view in Chicago. —Elena Clavarino