The Look of Resilience

Black Stoneware, epoxy resin, gold leaf
H40 W33 D22 cm
​Unique
​SOLD UAE

The Look of Resilience presents aspects of psychological trauma and healing as a physical narrative. Exploring the fragility and resilience of the human condition through the violated materiality of the portrait.
The work begins its journey in the traditional sense of realistic representation, then seeks to expand the parameters of the genre beyond a lifelike representation through a process of destruction and repair to convey a journey of grief and trauma to healing and wellbeing. Emotional encounters are imbued into material form. The illuminated resin sections represent an enlightenment through experience.
The act of making, destroying and repairing demonstrates a universal metaphorical journey.
This work sits quietly and meditatively presenting imperfections, pain and memories - the scars of life.
Embracing and accepting fate as part of what it is to be human.
Inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi (the repair of broken ceramics with gold), a philosophy of seeing beauty in imperfection.  The fractured portrait seeks to consider a critical engagement with the viewer, confronting fundamental questions of the inner self and aspects of mental health and wellbeing.