
Penelope Hayes
When you hand build something in clay and fire it you are not only producing an object or form, you are creating something which gives you immortality – your work will last forever. Even if the form is broken and no longer recognisable, your finger prints will still exist within the broken shards for someone else, a hundred years from now, to pick up and hold within their hand, connecting with you back through time.
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My current work relates to the research I did during lockdown looking at the makeup women use now, in the past and from around the world - the marks, colours and lines depict which 'tribe' they belong to providing individuals with a point of 'belonging' or 'connection' which is a basic human need. The marks used often relate to ritual/rights of passage/myths/beliefs - the meaning of which have been lost in time but still resonate today.
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Using the Japanese method of Raku firing I have created my own 'Tribe' by playing with these marks and colours to create 'serendipity' effects whilst creating a collective identity upon human forms.
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