Oblique Abstraction

Manon, Age 18

  • Sculpture
  • Ceramic
  • 350(w) 120(h) 350(d) mm

I centred my clay structure around the idea of Wabi-Sabi, an aesthetic that connects me to my Japanese heritage, with an acute focus on textures. To me, the image of the oyster shell embodies this concept as, though it does not conform to the conventional image of beauty, it is comprised of captivatingly intricate details, specifically the exceptionally thin layers. I thus endeavoured to study this on a larger scale using clay and incorporating different textures into the layers to produce a collage. This proved to be a challenging and lengthy process where I carefully rolled and impressed different textures into the clay, and then folded and layered each layer to replicate the shape of the shell. When glazing, I maintained the earthy colour scheme but embellished the model with a hint of gold to contrast with the dull colour palette.