My ceramic practice stems from this desire to explore symbiotic relationships between myself and the urban and natural worlds. I do this by almost conversing with these environments and coming to collaborative conclusions together. Hand building biomorphic forms felt liberating both for myself and the clay itself and we did this dance where either one of us applied control but also loosened our grip.
This series of sculptures I call Beloved Monsters stem from this genuine affection for the ugly, the grotesque, the imperfect, the unearthly, and yet beautiful and I see these ‘monsters’ as reflections of that juxtaposed portrait.
Photo Courtesy Kathleen Hoare, (2020).