ABOUT

‘Almost all of us can make. It is one of the strongest of human impulses and one of the most significant means of human expression…Though intentions and conditions vary, all makers participate in the unique human experience that comes from being completely engrossed in creative activity.’ (Charny 2013:7)

For me, making and crafting is about the physical experience of touch and the connection between maker and material. It’s a process and an experience and through my work I seek to capture a sense of flow and to loose myself in ‘creative activity’, as Charny describes (2013).

Making is central to what I do as a participatory artist, it is how I think and how I communicate. However, I don’t often make or produce finished hand crafted items, instead I create interventions and installations exploring traditional craft skills. I embrace processes that are intrinsically slow, creating a calming effect that allows time to connect with both process and material. The process of making and this experience is far more important to me than any physical outcome.

I believe that everyone should be able to experience the positive effects of craft processes both as a viewer and as a maker. The passing on of skills is important but the well being benefits should be accessible to all no matter the skill level. I am very conscious of the intimidation that traditional craft skills and materials can present to newcomers. Through my work I aim to facilitate the experience and well being benefits of making for others without the need to teach specific skills. In order to do this, I expand and magnify traditional craft processes and invite people to join me in the making.

I am not a solitary maker. I prefer making with others either as active participants or as observers. I find that making in public drives the making process. It opens up conversations and facilitates connections to people, spaces and objects both for me and for those taking part.