The search for a special birthday present in July 2002 led me to
sculpt
Anastasia, my very
first piece. My
arrival as a serious artist came one year later when I was named a
touring finalist in the prestigious Wallace Art Awards. Prior to
entering, none of my pieces had been shown publicly.
Months later I held my first solo exhibition and have since exhibited
works in the Cleveland Art
Awards and the CoCA/Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary
Art. In September 2005 I was thrilled to win the Central Otago Art
Society-SBS Art Award.
Telling human stories with empathy
and homour is both challenging and
rewarding. My characters are playful, provocative and have an emotional
energy.
I channel my own emotions into the
faces of my sculptures until their eyes come alive, then the piece takes
on a
life of it's own.
Sculpting
with polymer clay has its challenges, but is ultimately a forgiving
medium which bends to my perfectionism.
This is an
intuitive process, taking countless hours.
Needless to say, I become deeply connected to each piece.
I hope my
pieces reflect the struggle to adapt to change and explore our need to communicate and connect.
artist statement
The human form and
all its nuances holds an endless source of inspiration for me. I'm
fascinated by our innate ability to interpret facial expression and body
language and our struggle to adapt to change.
Through intricate
detailing, I look to breathe life into my characters, to produce a sense
of identity, familiarity and vulnerability. My work tackles universal
themes such as solitude, temptation, acceptance, transformation and the
desire to connect.
Polymer Clay enables
me to merge realism and fantasy, to develop a sense of irony by
manipulating the natural order of things. By introducing a physical
element to a piece, for example a cell phone or crucifix, we may
examine how technology, social and spiritual issues intrude on our inner
hopes and fears, and humanity as a whole.
Such interpretation draws on our intimate knowledge of
human behaviour, spatial awareness, personal beliefs and experiences. By
developing my sculptures to provoke questions, I hope we can make
discoveries about ourselves.
