Ariel Schlesinger’s series ‘For Those Who Haven’t’ are oversized candles made of ceramic. Each piece is in a state of anticipation: the wick can either remain unlit, representing the latent possibility of the object, or be lit on a single occasion, leaving a blackened trace on the wall. In both scenarios, the candles embody a sense of suspended time, either holding the future within them (unlit) or bearing the marks of the past (lit).

The use of ceramic is significant. As a material that endures high temperatures to gain strength and permanence, it reflects Schlesinger’s broader exploration of fire as a transformative force. In his work, fire is not merely an agent of destruction but one of creation and endurance. The ceramic candles, forged in fire themselves, symbolize this duality—delicate yet enduring, full of potential yet marked by the traces of their history.