My heart’s escape is the ocean. Having witnessed some of its many wonders while scuba diving, I am intrigued by the fluidity of forms and textures seen underwater. They create the illusion of being in constant motion, even though they may be perfectly still pieces of coral or shell. To bring in that movement in my work, is a challenge. The ever-engulfing spiral courses its way through shells, through waves, through seaweed, through tides, and through my work.
Sculptural Work by Series
This series is a reflection of duality – thrown and altered forms. I enjoy the discipline of throwing on the wheel. It allows me to be true to the base form. And then, by contrast, I find the alterations a wonderful break from the monotony of the wheel. The merger of the two techniques forms the perfect platform for me to explore this series.
My head is often tormented by the times we live in, while my heart tries to comfort it. My shields signify defense. Defense, from a society, that is in desperate need of introspection. They take the battering and tell stories, about the rips in our social fabric that we have grown to accept, as being normal.
Within our perceived realm of existence, we are part of a constant cycle of creation, destruction, and rejuvenation. And in it, there exists a duality within existentiality, that I find very intriguing.
Nature creates… and it is this very ‘Nature’ that destroys too, on scales that are unfathomable to the human sensibilities. This destruction by the forces of nature: wind, waves, dust, and flames allows us the possibilities of exploring the completion of the cycle with rejuvenation.
It is these aspects that I explore in this series of work. It is my constant endeavor, in the current phase of my creative perception, to bring about the divine proportion in my work. The same nature that is so integral to the art of creating ceramic, within the kiln, fire, earth, and air at play, transforms or destroys them into intense visual displays. And then it is my job to rejuvenate what comes out. I find beauty in the destroyed forms to such a degree, that I loathe to disregard them as not being objects of art…
…For aren’t we as a species under the same emotional process ourselves? Being created, destroyed, and constantly rejuvenating our fragile mental makeup?
It is an exploration of the concept of time, as experienced by archaeologists while digging for lost cultures. I got engulfed in this immense sense of awe, while I travelling through Egypt last year. While the ancient sites themselves evoke a feeling of wonder at civilisations past, cultures lost and languages misinterpreted, the images of the actual unearthing of these sites, are what struck a chord with me. Stripping off layers upon layers of sand, to reveal unfathomable works of art, needs a certain level of dedication.
‘DYNASTIES’ comes from layers of time unearthed through shifting sands and crumbling gems.