I paint with oil on canvas and sculpt with clay, to create installation pieces which deal with ritualistic, folk and historical ideas. I aim to create solemn environments which allude to medieval history and connect to contemporary culture and politics.
I look at ceramic masks inspired by BannKörbe, a German sixteenth century tradition, translated as "spellbinding bee hives”. Masks were built into these hives, known as Immenwachter (guardians of the bees), that were intended to trap evil spirits and scare away thieves. Within my body of work, I have decided to use the masks to pay tribute to the members of the early medieval re-enactment group I am part of.
The religious imagery in my work is seen through large-scale paintings containing monasterial figures, or figures which take the centre of my installations, often commanding respect within the space. The paintings are framed using natural materials like rope and straw, to connect to the sculptures. The sculpted objects are then placed in ritualistic ways such as on shelves and altars and stare inward at the viewer.
My work is not about something lost to the past, but the desire to keep ideas alive as part of a critical, living moment.
