Design-Nation: Our Journey

Twenty five members of the UK based Design-Nation craft and design organisation have been selected to take part in the show Our Journey held at The Hub, Sleaford. The working title was originally Futures so I submitted a couple of 'Ghostfishing' neckpieces - a tangle of sea-twine and hooked porcelain fish, 'Sea Serpent' - a madder entanglement of sea-twine, flotsam and porcelain fish as wearable sculpture, and lastly 'Mackerel Container' - a woven wire vessel containing porcelain fish all trussed together with more sea-twine and fishing tackle. My narrative was that unless we care for our oceans we limit the future for generations to come. With the change in title, my story switched focus to how my art practice has been heavily bound up in recycling since an early age. My family always tried to fix what had broken, mend it using skill or ingenuity or failing that a hefty dollop of epoxy glue.

I've always been intrigued by things that have a history and a past life; hand-made lace elegantly crocheted by my great aunts, the rickety wooden stool roughly constructed by grandad, founds bits washed up on the beach, ethnic collections sent home by Victorian explorers all fascinated me. My exploration and journey is often about finding the overlooked and discarded and re-imagining another future. Using materials which tell stories of a previous life and transforming them into something beautiful which may have had an uncomfortable beginning but is hopefully transformed with an inspiring ending. 

Design-Nation : Our Journey opens on Saturday 29th January until Sunday 24th April 2022

On Sunday 24th April Linda Bloomfield - multi-published glaze extraordinaire and myself will be delivering a Ceramic Glaze Masterclass for people with some knowledge of making glazes or none at all. 11am - 3.30pm. Uncovering the magic of permanent ceramic surfaces, and providing some enlightenment for those in fear of it all going horribly wrong!