Inspired by the interplay of surface, form, and textures found in Cypriot antiquities and ancient landscapes, these sculptures echo a dialogue between gestural process and geometric form. The standing works, Phi, Ìchnos I, and Ìchnos II,  were formed through layering clay bodies of varying plasticities and granularity, manipulating their movement and flow through gestural action. The process of placing stretched slabs into bespoke moulds, then releasing them once dry, evokes an act of unearthing — a quiet echo to archaeological excavation.

Phi references the figurines of the Mycenaean civilisation, whose folded-arm silhouettes take their name and form from the Greek letter Φ. Ìchnos, meaning “trace” in Greek, speaks to the imprints of formation; the gestures, ruptures, and surfaces that carry evidence of process and touch.

In Gestural Tracing I and II, traditional Cypriot surface techniques are reinterpreted through repetition and movement, layering lines and techniques within the clay’s surface to embody the act of tracing itself, a convergence of gesture, memory, and material resonance.

 RCA MA Ceramics and Glass Collection 2024

Photography by Chloe Ackers