R.L.Foote Design Studio – Residency Award
Unearthed looks at the hidden networks below the surface that create a complex, functioning ecosystem that is older than humanity.
I derive my forms to represent the connections between mycelium and tree roots; these organisms infuse landscapes. My work aims to emulate the inner workings of plants and mycelium that are unseen to the naked eye as they generally exist below the surface. By increasing the scale of my sculptures, I aim to create a growth-like appearance and make the invisible visible.
I achieve my artistic practice through hand-building techniques, specifically coiling and pinching, which belong to the historical traditions of ceramics. I paint my surfaces using the ancient method of terra sigillata and coloured stains. I have experimented with a range of dark clay bodies to replicate their appeal and make associations with all that lives and grows in fertile soils.
My creative process is to build organic forms that represent the textural nature of trees without a pre-planned design. Instead, I look at the process of engaging with the materiality and allowing it to guide the form. When building, I enjoy imagining how the shape will turn out; therefore, I follow where the clay goes and how it responds to my handwork, challenging the clay to ‘grow’ into its final form.
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