There is an undeniable sense of drama to the 22 figural ceramic sculptures by Dennis Bergevin on view at The Clay Place in Shadyside. Elvira Peake, the gallery's owner, says, "They look like opera singers. You expect them to just sing away."

There's good reason for this. "They are my voice," says their creator, Dennis Bergevin of the North Side. "They are singing," he says. "They come from that part of me that can't communicate verbally. I never was an onstage performer, but I worked almost 30 years in opera."

Bergevin, 54, is a retired wig designer and makeup artist whose credits include working with more than 20 theater and opera companies in North America on productions such as "The Merchant of Venice," "Jelly's Last Jam" and "Angels in America," to name just a few.

So, it's easy to see why the artist describes himself as a "frustrated costume designer. "Doing wigs and makeup, I was closely connected to and worked in tandem with the wardrobe departments." Hence, he says of his sculptures, "So much of the influence comes from costuming, from stage work, from being around that whole world."

That explains the period look of pieces such as "Victorious," which looks like a little Josephine Baker singing her heart out in a cabaret in the 1920s, and the theatrical look of works such as "The Good Witch," which has a headdress not unlike that of Maleficent in "Sleeping Beauty."

Many of the figures have ruffled gowns, like the piece "Queen of Sheba," one of the most flamboyant in the show, with gobs of baubles hanging from the ruffles.

Bergevin says that if the piece looks over-the-top, it's supposed to. "I remember when my mother would see someone that was garishly dressed she would say, 'Oh, she looks like the Queen of Sheba,'" Bergevin says. "I really and truly don't know what that means, but I wanted to do something that was overdone and ornate."

The baubles alone are little works of art, fashioned from found objects such as buttons, wire and old bottle caps. They were made by Bergevin's sister, Catena Bahneman, a local jewelry designer known for creating a line of "Junk Jewelry."

Although he considers the piece a collaborative effort, for his part Bergevin says that when it was finished, "I stood back to finally look at her in her completion and I said, 'Oh, my God. It's a man. She even has an Adam's apple. It's a drag Queen.'

"She was born out of herself," Bergevin says. "I laugh at that piece. I think it's comical and charming. That piece made itself."

Another favorite with a familial connection to the artist is "The Ancient One #1," which resembles an Indian chief in a tranquil and dignified pose. "When the piece was finished, I saw my father's face in that particular sculpture," Bergevin says. "There's a sense of calm about it. It really is my dad." Bergevin, who is part Algonquin, grew up in San Diego. Although the weather is consistent there, he says, "I never cared for that."

"In fact, I fled California as soon as I became an adult because I really needed the seasonal changes," he says. "I am very circular. I need to have that whole cycle in order to feel alive." In light of this, he created four aptly named sculptures, each of which represents a season. Each incorporates some object or element that is appropriate to that season. For example, the figure "Winter" holds crystals that look like ice formations, and "Spring" holds a robin's nest with three eggs in it.

"It's really my celebration of the four seasons," Bergevin says of the grouping. Another grouping Bergevin holds dear is "The Mourners." Three female figures are arranged back to back in a circle, appearing to be wailing together harmoniously in misery. "They were born out of the Abu Ghraib tragedy," Bergevin says. "I was really profoundly affected by that. I had to get the emotion I was feeling about that out of my body."

As in those works, nearly all of the pieces in this show exemplify a similar affectatious approach to art making. This only adds to the work, resulting in pieces that truly do sing with emotion.

Kurt Shaw can be reached at kshaw@tribweb.com

Photo Gallery

"The Good Witch," from Dennis Bergevin's exhibit "Songs Without Sound" Jasmine Gehris/Tribune-Review

"Autumn" and "Winter" Jasmine Gehris/Tribune-Review

"Queen of Sheba" Jasmine Gehris/Tribune-Review

"The Ancient One #1" Jasmine Gehris/Tribune-Review

Songs Without Sound What: Figural works in clay by Dennis Bergevin When: Through April 20. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; until 9 p.m. Wednesdays. Gallery will be closed through April 16, but can be open by appointment. Where: The Clay Place, 5416 Walnut St., Shadyside Admission: Free Details: (412) 682-3737