Visual Art – Canberra
I am a recent graduate of the ANU School of Art Ceramics department. I spent a semester of my degree in Calgary, Canada at Alberta College of Art and Design on exchange. While on exchange I started making objects designed to comfort people and I am still exploring this theme in my current work.
"Comfort Cups" is a series of hand pinched, atmospheric fired cups with purpose built bases designed to comfort the user.
The curve of the cup fits into the hand and the varied tactility of the surface brings the attention of the user to the moment and act of holding the cup. My cups encourage the user to take a moment of calm reflection, as the pieces require attentiveness when handling and thoughtfulness in the way they are placed onto the bases.
Each cup has a base in the form of a donut shaped heat pack or pebble shaped worry stone. The cups nestle into the heat packs or sit on a worry stone that can also be held and played with by the user.
I developed the tactile surfaces of the work by pinching and forming the clay in my hands and then through atmospheric soda and wood firing processes to give each piece an individual story.