2023
Acrylic with garden tags, washers and clips on connector blocks
220mm (H) x 440mm (W)
This new work is part of my Karpet series.
Inspired by antique Armenian carpets woven in The Caucasus, Karpet is a series of small works which function as contemporary icons and can be wall hung singularly or in clusters. The images are based on the symbols found in these tribal artefacts, which abound in imagery of the religious, natural or village worlds in which they were fabricated up until the turn of the twentieth century. Crosses, suns, flowers, birds, and animals populate the canvas of the carpet. These symbols are recreated with colourful plastic components joined by connector blocks to acrylic bases.
Having trained and practiced as an architect and urban designer, I now work part-time at the University of Auckland after a career in teaching, research, and academic leadership.
My art and art to wear uses ordinary and inexpensive materials and upcycled jewellery. My wish is to enable statement jewellery or small sculpture to be accessible to all, no matter what their budget.
I believe the value of a piece lies not in its materiality, but in its innovative design. I am particularly interested in plastic as a material and the expressiveness of colour.