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Cheryl Harper’s road towards ceramics was anything but convenient. There were red-tape difficulties to obtaining a master’s degree, a family tragedy inspiring a dramatic career change, a brief stint as a teacher at Tyler School of Art, and a longer stint as curator at The Gershman Y. Ten years of self-taught sculpture later, and a show on “convenient vanities” might seem like a surprising choice.

But as illustrated by the detailed and tactile nature of the work on display at James Oliver Gallery through January 15, Harper’s talent is in noticing the little things and drawing them in closer, blowing them up bigger. Every piece in the exhibition is made by hand – and made by Harper – tables, textiles, frames,  prints.

“I took all of these foods that I bought, I deconstructed them, I took photographs of them, I drew them,” Harper explains of the process behind the central ceramic displays. “I love to play with scale… Everything is enlarged. I’m editorializing.”...