The Shape of Longing 2019
The Shape of Longing
Slip cast paper-clay bowls with slip cast elements of nature (bones, feathers, seaweed, moss, insects, shells etc)
113 pieces, each 8 – 15 cm
Curiosity, delight and a pensive hush filled the gallery room while for many the desire to touch the pieces was substantial. In this piece, what appears to be lost is actually simply transitioned, and what is recognizable lays in perfect quietude held gently within the bowls, ranging from elegant to broken down.
One paper-clay slip cast vessel containing a slip cast flower began an experiment to see if something delicate and natural could survive the thousand degree temperature of a kiln firing. The Shape of Longing became an ongoing project of discovery coupled with a formulated desire to record and save elements of my surroundings and recent experiences. To make precious the small intricacies and to ultimately draw an audience in to look closely, to consider, to question, and to be hyper aware of the fragility of what was before them turned my insular investigation into a exquisite shared experience.