The title ‘The Labour of Caring: A Journey Through the Handmade’ was inspired by the book Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art. This publication celebrated the notion that ‘to craft is to care’ and that crafting is a ‘labour of love’, which was exactly how I felt towards the physical processes and its intimate tactile experience of making my artworks. I resonated especially with Claire Barclay’s view of how the ‘idea of making something yourself or that someone has made for you “with love” represents the highly personal and the emotionally charged. It is this quality of exchange that can act so powerfully to trigger memories, affections, and stories.’. I am interested in the pleasure of making things and the products of the human hand, whether individually fashioned or collectively produced enhances the qualities of life.
Working in the comfort of my own kitchen, my work focused into the notion of handmade and gentleness in an era of automation and chaos, whilst being conscious of the sustainability of the materials being used. The viewers will become witnesses to the care I provide for my artworks and the direct connection to my hands in a technologically saturated time. I aimed to create a space where the viewers can slow down their gaze and dedicate their time and attentiveness, in order for them to learn how to focus to see something very quiet and subtle. In doing so, it will enable them to be in a positive mental state where they are immersed deeply in the work and can even momentarily forget about the stress of urban life.