Grace and Substance

'a strong yet soft presence in the space.'

Grace and Substance forms part of my ongoing exploration of women within the complex social structures of family, society, and institutions. As a way to explore the historical notion that women have been expected to exhibit masculine qualities in order to hold positions of authority within these structures I have created hand-built ceramic architectural forms. The forms are structurally very strong - the use of the dome, arc, apse and bridge are all used in traditional architecture as forms of strength and integrity. Yet the very nature of ceramics creates a softness in both their scale and evidence of the handmade, additionally the painterly glazes are soft, gentle and feminine in nature.