Gillian Hodes

Artist Statement

My ceramic and felt work began as an exploration of a sense of "otherness" I have felt since childhood, coming from a family who has moved and emigrated many times. As repeat migrants we become chameleons in our attempt to fit in and we develop a psychological exoskeleton. The experience of human interaction in cultures that might look similar, but are inherently different, can leave us scarred over our lifetimes, yet we continue to search for a safe, calm home. This led me to work with contrasting materials, specifically clay and merino wool felt.

My cloud works evolved from working with the contrasts of hard and soft, brittle and flexible, colourful and colourless. I am drawn to the inherent contradictions of porcelain: fine, translucent and voluptuous yet cool, hard and brittle. Lucky enough now to live in Sydney, I find the gentle blues of sky, ocean and clouds to be calming, tranquil, evocative and dream-like. I started making functional ceramics to bring this sense of tranquility into everyday life.