Sterling Ruby's *Ashtray 261* and *Ashtray 266* are glazed ceramic works that transform a mundane, everyday object into vessels charged with raw, expressive energy. Ruby's signature approach merges industrial and domestic references with gestural mark-making, allowing drips, smears, and pooling glazes to evoke themes of consumption, waste, and human residue. The works occupy a space between sculpture and functional object, challenging distinctions between fine art and the detritus of everyday life.