How Would Pottery Look if We Would Live in Space?

Still, there I was, throwing one of my latest sculptures from the Galactic Pottery series into the wilds of r/crafts.

If you missed the post—lucky you, you were spared the chaos of me over-explaining and trying (poorly) to fit a sci-fi steel sculpture into a subreddit primarily dedicated to macrame, paper flowers, and adorable polymer clay frogs. I respect the frogs, truly.

Galactic Pottery: The Strange, Beautiful, and Slightly Concerning Evolution of a Space-Inspired Sculpture

The sculpture in question was a strange metallic vessel—something that might’ve been salvaged from a derelict spacecraft or gifted by an alien who didn’t quite understand how humans consume soup. Made from 4mm steel, it was designed to explore the weird physics of fluid containers on other planets. Think: how would pottery look if you lived somewhere gravity had a playful sense of humor?

Failure, Feedback, and the Reddit Gauntlet

If you’ve ever posted on Reddit, you know: feedback is instant, brutal, and occasionally hilarious.

The top comments, ironically, weren’t about the craft itself. They were about the subreddit rules, questioning if what I’d posted even belonged there. Fair. My explanation probably read more like a sci-fi pitch than a craft submission. Lesson learned: next time, fewer words about viscosity in low gravity, more about metalworking techniques.

But then—buried among the meta-comments—the gems started appearing.

One user wrote, “It's mesmerizing to look at and I'm sure only more so to feel.” That hit me. Because that’s exactly what I aim for. I want my work to pull you in, make you curious about texture, weight, the coldness of the steel. The kind of piece you’d run your fingers over absentmindedly while wondering if it’s safe to store moon water inside.

Another chimed in, “It reminds me of a fragment of Steppenwolf's armor from Zack Snyder's Justice League.” Honestly, I didn’t see that coming—but once I did, I couldn’t unsee it. There’s a sharp, alien brutality to the sculpture, like it survived a cosmic battle. I’ll take the accidental compliment. Though, unlike Steppenwolf, my vessel doesn’t come with a side of interplanetary war crimes.

So... What Is Galactic Pottery, Anyway?

The idea behind Galactic Pottery came from a very human place: frustration. I was bored of traditional vases and bowls—Earth stuff. Functional, yes. Boring? Also yes.

I wanted to imagine a civilization where storing fluids wasn’t straightforward. A world where gravity isn’t constant, where liquids cling to surfaces or float mid-air. Would pottery even have an “inside” anymore? Would its main function be beauty or science?

The sculpture I posted is just one piece of that series—a 17 cm tall, 8 cm deep metallic oddity designed with both chaos and physics in mind. Every angle changes its appearance. You stare long enough, and it stares back.

The Long, Metal-Laden Road Here

This wasn’t an overnight success. The first version was... bad. And not in a “quirky failure” way. Bad in a “should I even be doing this?” way.

Metal is unforgiving. I work with 4mm steel sheets, laser-cut and assembled with patience and a healthy dose of existential dread. The curves don’t forgive. The weight is relentless. And every design choice feels permanent.

But somewhere between version five and version seven, I found it. That sweet spot where the object felt neither purely functional nor purely decorative. A space relic. A question mark in metal form.

The kind of thing you might find on a distant planet, its purpose long forgotten but its beauty undeniable.

Humor, Accidents, and Unintentional Shower Thoughts

One Reddit comment took things... elsewhere. “I fell on it in the shower” someone joked, quoting what sounded like an E.R. horror story. Naturally, it spiraled into an entire thread about people explaining embarrassing injuries with that classic excuse.

And honestly? It was perfect.

Because this is what happens when you create weird, alien-looking objects—you trigger stories, jokes, imagination. Suddenly, my intergalactic sculpture became a potential prop in a hospital sitcom.

I could be bitter about the derailment, but I’m not. If anything, it proved that Galactic Pottery works. It sparks something. Laughter, curiosity, or mild fear—it doesn’t matter. It lives.

Craft vs. Concept: Where Does It Even Belong?

This Reddit experience forced me to ask: Where does work like this belong?

It’s too conceptual for some craft spaces. Not “art” enough for highbrow galleries (yet). It doesn’t “hold” anything, so calling it pottery feels like lying.

But maybe that’s the point. The project walks a line between sculpture, design, and sci-fi storytelling. It doesn’t need to be a bowl. It doesn’t need to sit in a gallery with a pretentious paragraph next to it.

It just needs to exist.

Maybe the right category for this is “strange things that make people stop scrolling.” If that’s not a genre, I’m starting it.

What’s Next for Galactic Pottery?

Good question. Honestly, I’m still figuring it out.

More pieces are coming—some taller, some designed to test how light and shadow play across the metal. I’m considering integrating kinetic elements too because if I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that people love when art moves or almost injures you.

I’ll probably post again. Maybe not on r/crafts—unless I figure out how to explain “extraterrestrial vessel for hypothetical fluids” in under 10 words. But somewhere.

And next time? I’m leaning hard into the humor. Maybe the piece is a soap dish. For aliens. Maybe it’s exactly what someone needs to fall on in the shower for a very awkward E.R. visit.

Final Thoughts: A Love Letter to Weird Art

If you made it this far, thanks. Writing this is as much a reflection as it is a celebration. Because honestly? I’ve come a long way from the first lumpy steel experiments in my garage.

There’s pride in failure. In testing, in reworking, in putting something this weird online and watching strangers find a way to connect to it—whether through poetic comments or... intimate shower accidents.

Galactic Pottery is a reminder that art doesn’t have to be immediately understandable. It doesn’t have to be functional. Sometimes, its greatest achievement is making someone stop, laugh, wonder, or imagine a universe where gravity is optional, and our containers reflect that.

And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Stay curious. Stay weird. And yes, keep your sculptures out of the shower.

• Peter von Hauerland

You can find my space- and science-inspired sculptural art objects throughout this website in the following sections:

Galactic Fossils

Interactive Cosmos Sculptures

Art Decor Inspired by Space Objects made of sheet steel

Tiny Space Creatures