Donate a Burn Pit Uniform
Each vessel in this installation carries the material legacy of military service. Whether you are a veteran, active service member, or donating on behalf of someone who served, you are invited to contribute a uniform or garment exposed to burn pit conditions.
If you're interested in donating your items, you can submit your service information through the form linked below and receive instructions on how to ship your donation. The materials are transformed during the Raku firing process, leaving a permanent trace on each vessel; a gesture of remembrance, service, and sacrifice.
A Call to Arms
This project depends on the strength of the veteran and service member community. If you believe in the mission behind Residue, I ask for your help in sharing it. Whether you served near a burn pit or know someone who did, your voice can help bring this work to those who understand its weight.
Spread the word by sharing this project. Tag people you served with, send it privately, or post it publicly. Every connection matters.
Reduction & Transformation
As the fabric ignites, carbon from the uniform bonds with the silica in the clay, leaving intense black imprints on the surface. Simultaneously, the flames consume the oxygen inside the chamber, creating a reducing atmosphere. This reaction alters the metal oxides in the glaze, resulting in unpredictable and often vivid colors.
Every mark is a product of exposure — earned through heat, contact, and combustion. These vessels are not metaphor. They are physical records of service, permanently altered by sacrifice.
Burn Pits 360
Burn Pits 360 is a nonprofit organization advocating for veterans and service members impacted by toxic exposure during deployments. Their mission is to educate, advocate, and empower those affected by burn pits and other environmental hazards.
This exhibition is proud to partner with Burn Pits 360 to raise awareness about the long-term consequences of toxic exposure. A portion of the artist’s proceeds from artwork sales will be donated directly to support their mission.
Learn more at burnpits360.org.
Vessels
Each vessel in Residue is created with donated military uniforms. They are incinerated in the firing process; the cloth is consumed, but the carbon residue bonds to the surface of the ceramic body; smoke becomes memory, and fire leaves its mark.
These are not symbolic surrogates. They are physical relics. Each vessel bears the carbon record of a singular burn, and the same invisible exposure of the uniformed wearer. Glazes turn from gunmetal to chrome. Forms are solid and they fall. No two are alike. Just like no two service stories are the same.
Prints
The prints in Residue are made from uniforms that have been fully consumed in the kiln. After firing, the remaining carbonized ash is collected, ground, and repurposed; not as pigment, but as substance.
Each image begins with a medical scan: cancers, tissue samples, embryonic silhouettes, and other medical imagery. These are visual records of diagnoses linked to burn pit exposure. The images are screen printed using a transparent ink, then flocked with the carbon ash, bonding the residue directly to the surface.
The result is tactile, not just visual. The carbon clings to the paper like memory to the body; powdery, raw, and unable to fully settle. Made on handmade sheets formed from shredded U.S. military uniforms in collaboration with Combat Paper, the prints speak in the very fibers of service and consequence.
These are not just images. They're material witness, evidence flocked in soot.
Exhibitions
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? (Group Exhibition)
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM (EST)
Venue: Arnold and Seila Aronson Gallery, The New School/Parsons School of Design, New York, NY
Residue (Solo Thesis Exhibition)
Opening Reception: March 5, 2026, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM (CST)
Venue: Weil Gallery, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX
Residue (Solo Exhibition)
Status: Scheduled for September 2026
Details to be announced.
Media
Recent coverage of Residue and related interviews. For press inquiries, please reach out via the contact form below.
- “TAMUCC Artist & Veteran Turns Burned Military Uniforms into Art Highlighting Burn Pit Exposure,” KRIS-TV, aired and published November 16, 2025 — Watch/Read
- “Veterano de la Fuerza Aérea transforma uniformes militares en arte para concientizar sobre fosas quema,” Telemundo Corpus Christi — Ver cobertura
- “Artist Spotlight: Project Residue” (short segment), KRIS-TV 5PM/6PM News, November 18, 2025 — Watch
About the Artist
Ian Manseau is a sculptor and MFA candidate at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. He was medically retired from the U.S. Air Force after nearly 14 years of service, which included a tour at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. His work is shaped by the physical and psychological realities of military life.
His practice bridges traditional craft and emerging technology, combining raku-fired ceramics and digital fabrication to explore themes of exposure, permanence, and transformation.
Contact
For questions about Residue, upcoming exhibitions, or collaboration opportunities, please use the form below. If you're looking to donate a deployment uniform, please refer to the donation section above.