Clay, fired with coloured glazes.
This educational 3-D piece came under the theme of nature, but more specifically it speaks about life and growth. It was inspired by branches and buds growing on trees and twigs that had fallen to the ground.
To create the piece, the clay was pressed into bark and twigs to leave a print on the surface. This was then shaped into cylindrical forms with the smaller ones being arranged inside a larger one, similar to how you would find seeds within a pod.
Looking back on this piece it feels like the curling form of the clay resembles the shape of bark when it's removed from a tree. Seen in this way it seems empty and dead, as though it's representing the skin without the life that should dwell within. Even though there are small growths on the inside, really they are just more empty shells lacking in flesh or substance.
