About the Artist

Norman Deesing, a distinguished, award-winning artist also known in the realm of social media as the comedic persona SunglassJack®, is a Los Angeles-based figurative sculptor. His work, primarily composed of stoneware clay in mixed media compositions, is renowned for its meticulous engineering of balance and visual harmony. Deesing’s innovative creations are assemblages of carefully hand-built components, which coalesce into cohesive three-dimensional expressions. He received his fine arts degree, specializing in ceramics, from the University of California, Davis in 1984, where he studied under the eminent figures Robert Arneson (ceramics) and Wayne Thiebaud (painting). These formative years proved deeply influential, inspiring Deesing to dedicate many years to teaching ceramic sculpture at the high school level. In 2024, he shifted his focus exclusively to art production, embarking on a new chapter as a full-time sculptor.

About the Work

My sculptural practice begins with a central theme and a block of pliable, moist clay—an elemental medium that remains the cornerstone of my work, though I never hesitate to incorporate other materials should the design demand it. In every piece, there is a profound sense of building from the earth itself. I draw upon tones, textures, patterns, and hues to construct assemblages that possess an almost primal quality, so raw and minimally processed they seem as though they were freshly unearthed. Often, I create unique modular compositions, with each individual piece akin to a puzzle, interlocking seamlessly. The final result is a fundamental human form, poised to command the viewer's attention.